irnia 
il 


THE  LIBRARY 

OF 

THE  UNIVERSITY 
OF  CALIFORNIA 

LOS  ANGELES 


THE  DAREDEVIL 


THE  DAREDEVIL 


By 

Maria  Thompson  Daviess 

Author  of  "  The  Melting  of  Molly," 

"Miss  Selina  Lue,"  "Over 

Paradise  Ridge,  etc." 


Frontispiece  from  Painting  by 

E.  Sophonisba  Hergesheimer 


The  Reilly  &  Britton  Co. 

Chicago 


Copyright,  1916 

By 
The  Reilly  &  Britton  Co. 


Rs 


To 

Jessie  Morson  Grahame 
Who  expects  "  the  best  "  of  me 


1 1 

JL-L 


CONTENTS 

I     SPARKLING    WAVES    OVER    HIGH 

EXPLOSIVES 9 

II     VIVE  LA  FRANCE  ! 29 

III  THAT  MR.  G.  SLADE  OF  DETROIT.  .  51 

IV  THE  IMPOSSIBLE  UNCLE  ROBERT.  .  71 
V     "  HERE'S  MY  BOY,  GOVERNOR  "...  85 

VI  "  WE  BOTH  NEED  You  " 97 

VII  THE  GIRL  BUNCH Ill 

VIII  IN  THE  DRESS  OF  MAGNIFICENCE.  .    120 

IX  "  O'ER  THE  LAND  OF  THE  FREE  -        136 

X  VITRIOL  AND  THE  HOODOO 151 

XI  BUSINESS  AND  PIE 171 

XII  THE   BEAUTIFUL   MADAM    WHIT- 
WORTH  190 

XIII  BROTHERS  BY  BLOODSHED 208 

XIV  To  BEAR  MEN  AND  TO  SAVE  THEM  227 
XV  "  BEHOLD,  I  AM  A  SPY!  " 243 

XVI     "  IMMEDIATELY  I  COME  TO  You!  "  258 
XVII     THE     TALL     TIMBERS     OF     OLD 

HARPETH 273 

XVIII     THE  CAMP  HEAVEN 290 

XIX     ALL  is  LOST  307 

XX     "You  ARE  —  MYSELF !".  327 


The   Daredevil 

CHAPTER  I 

SPARKLING  WAVES  OVER  HIGH 
EXPLOSIVES 

Was  there  ever  a  woman  who  did  not  very 
greatly  desire  for  herself,  at  long  moments, 
the  doublet  and  hose  of  a  man,  perhaps  also 
his  sword,  as  well  as  his  attitude  in  the  viewing 
of  life?  I  think  not.  To  a  very  small  number 
of  those  ladies  of  great  curiosity  it  has  been 
granted  that  they  climb  to  those  ramparts  of  the 
life  of  a  man;  but  it  was  needful  that  they  be 
stout  of  limb  and  sturdy  of  heart  to  sustain 
themselves  upon  that  eminence  and  not  be 
dashed  below  upon  the  rocks  of  a  strange  land. 
I,  Roberta,  Marquise  de  Grez  and  Bye,  have 
obtained  glimpses  into  a  far  country  and  this 
is  what  I  bring  on  returning,  not  as  a  spy, 

9 


10  The  Daredevil 

but,  shall  I  say,  laden  with  spices  and  forbidden 
fruit? 

And  for  me  it  has  been  a  very  fine  dash 
into  the  wilds  of  a  land  of  strangeness,  and  I 
do  not  know  that  I  have  yet  found  myself  com 
pletely  returned  unto  my  estate  of  a  woman. 

I  first  began  to  realize  that  I  was  set  out 
upon  a  great  journey  when  I  stood  at  the  rail 
of  the  very  large  ship  and  watched  it  plow  its 
way  through  the  waves  which  they  told  us  with 
their  splendor  hid  cruel  mines.  I  felt  the  future 
might  be  like  unto  those  great  waves,  and  it 
might  be  that  it  would  break  in  sparkling  crests 
over  high  explosives.  I  found  them! 

I  had  seen  a  fear  of  those  explosives  of  life 
come  in  my  dying  father's  eyes,  and  here  I 
stood  at  his  command  out  on  the  ocean  in  quest 
of  a  woman's  fate  in  a  strange  country. 

"  Get  back  to  America,  Bob,  and  go  straight 
to  your  Uncle  Robert  at  Hayesville  in  the  Har- 
peth  Valley.  He  cut  me  loose  because  he  didn't 
understand,  when  I  married  your  mother  out  of 
the  French  opera  in  Paris.  When  I  named 
you  Roberta  for  him  he  returned  the  letter  I 
sent  but  with  a  notice  of  a  thousand  dollars  in 


Sparkling  Waves  11 

Monroe  and  Company  for  you.  I  didn't  tell  him 
when  your  mother  died.  God,  I've  been  bitter ! 
But  these  German  bullets  have  cut  the  life  out 
of  me  and  I  see  more  plainly.  Get  the  money 
and  take  Nannette  and  the  kiddie  on  the  first 
boat.  There's  starvation  and  —  maybe  worse  in 
Paris  for  you.  Take  —  the  money  —  and  - 
get  —  to  —  brother  Robert.  God  of  America 
—  take  —  them  and  —  guide  - 

And  that  was  all.  I  held  him  in  my  arms  for 
a  long  time,  while  old  Nannette  and  small  Pierre 
wept  beside  me,  and  then  I  laid  him  upon  his 
pillow  and  straightened  the  little  tricolor  that 
the  good  Sister  of  the  old  gray  convent  in 
which  he  lay  had  given  me  to  place  in  his  hand 
when  he  had  begged  for  it.  My  mother's  coun 
try  had  meant  my  mother  to  him  and  he  had 
given  his  life  for  her  and  France  in  the 
trenches  of  the  Vosges.  And  thus  at  his  bid 
ding  I  was  on  the  very  high  seas  of  adventure. 
From  this  thought  of  him  I  was  very  suddenly 
recalled  by  old  Nannette  who  came  upon  the 
deck  from  belo\v. 

"  Le  bon  Dicu,"  she  sighed,  as  she  settled 
herself  in  her  steamer  chair  and  took  out  the 


12  The  Daredevil 

lace  knitting.  "  Is  it  not  of  a  goodness  that 
I  have  tied  in  my  stocking  the  necessary  francs 
that  we  may  land  in  that  America,  where  all 
is  of  such  a  good  fortune?  And  also  by  my 
skill  we  have  one  hundred  and  fifty  francs 
above  that  need  which  must  be  almost  an  hun 
dred  of  their  huge  and  wasteful  dollars.  All 
is  well  with  us."  And  as  she  spoke  she  pulled 
up  the  collar  of  Pierre's  soft  blue  serge  blouse 
around  his  pale  thin  face  and  eased  the  cushion 
behind  his  crooked  small  back. 

"  Is  —  is  that  all  which  remains  of  the  fifteen 
hundred  dollars  we  found  to  be  in  that  bank, 
Nannette?"  I  asked  of  her  with  a  great  un 
certainty.  My  mother's  fortune,  descended 
from  her  father,  the  Marquis  de  Grez  and  Bye, 
and  the  income  of  my  father  from  his  govern 
ment  post,  had  made  life  easy  to  live  in  that  old 
house  by  the  Quay,  where  so  many  from  the 
Faubourg  St.  Germaine  came  to  hear  her  sing 
after  her  fortune  and  children  took  her  from 
the  Opera  —  and  to  go  for  the  summers  in  the 
gray  old  Chateau  de  Grez  —  but  of  the  invest 
ment  of  francs  or  dollars  and  cents  I  had  no 
knowledge,  in  spite  of  my  claims  to  be  an 


Sparkling  Waves  13 

American  girl  of  much  progress.  My  mother 
had  laughed  and  very  greatly  adored  my 
assumption  of  an  extreme  American  manner, 
copied  as  nearly  as  possible  after  that  of  my 
father,  and  had  failed  to  teach  to  me  even  that 
thrift  which  is  a  part  of  the  dot  of  every 
French  girl  from  the  Faubourg  St.  Germaine 
to  the  Boulevard  St.  Michel.  But  even  in  my 
ignorance  the  information  of  Nannette  as  to 
the  smallness  of  our  fortune  gave  to  me  an 
alarm. 

'  What  will  you,  Mademoiselle  ?  It  was  nec 
essary  that  I  purchase  the  raiment  needful  to 
the  young  Marquis  de  Grez  according  to  his 
state,  and  for  the  Marquise  his  sister  also.  It 
was  not  to  be  contemplated  that  we  should 
travel  except  in  apartments  of  the  very  best  in 
the  ship.  Is  not  gold  enough  in  America  even 
for  sending  in  great  sums  for  relief  of  suffer 
ing?  Have  I  not  seen  it  given  in  the  streets 
of  Paris?  Is  it  not  there  for  us?  Do  you  make 
me  reproaches?  "  And  Nannette  began  to  weep 
into  the  fine  lawn  of  her  nurse's  handkerchief. 

"  No,  no,  Nannette ;  I  know  it  was  of  a  neces 
sity  to  us  to  have  the  clothes,  and  of  course  we 


14  The  Daredevil 

had  to  travel  in  the  first  class.  Do  not  have 
distress.  If  we  need  more  money  in  America 
I  will  obtain  it."  I  made  that  answer  with  a 
gesture  of  soothing  upon  her  old  shoulders 
which  I  could  never  remember  as  not  bent  in 
an  attitude  of  hovering  over  Pierre  or  me. 

"Eh  bien!"  she  answered  with  a  perfect  sat 
isfaction  at  my  assumption  of  all  the  responsi 
bilities  of  our  three  existences. 

And  as  I  leaned  against  the  deck  rail  and 
looked  out  into  a  future  as  limitless  as  that 
water  ahead  of  us  into  which  the  great  ship 
was  plowing,  I  made  a  remark  to  myself  that 
had  in  it  all  the  wisdom  of  those  who  are 
ignorant. 

"  The  best  of  life  is  not  to  know  what  will 
happen  next." 

"  Ah,  that  was  so  extraordinary  coming  from 
a  woman  that  you  must  pardon  me  for  listen 
ing  and  making  exclamation,"  came  an  answer 
in  a  nice  voice  near  at  my  elbow.  The  words 
were  spoken  in  as  perfect  English  as  I  had 
learned  from  my  father,  but  in  them  I  observed 
to  be  an  intonation  that  my  French  ear  detected 
as  Parisian.  "  Also,  Mademoiselle,  are  you 


Sparkling  Waves  15 

young  women  of  the  new  era  to  be  without  that 
very  delightful  but  often  danger-creating  qual 
ity  of  curiosity?"  As  I  turned  I  looked  with 
startled  eyes  into  the  grave  face  of  a  man  less 
than  forty  years,  whose  sad  eyes  were  for  the 
moment  lighting  with  a  great  tenderness  which 
I  did  not  understand. 

"  I  believe  the  quality  which  will  be  most 
required  of  the  women  of  the  era  which  is 
mine,  is  —  is  courage  and  then  more  courage, 
Monsieur,"  I  made  answer  to  him  as  if  I  had 
been  discussing  some  question  with  him  in  my 
father's  smoking  room  at  the  Chateau  de  Grez, 
as  I  often  came  in  to  do  with  my  father  and 
his  friends  after  the  death  of  my  mother  when 
the  evenings  seemed  too  long  alone.  They  had 
liked  that  I  so  came  at  times,  and  the  old  Count 
de  Breaux  once  had  remarked  that  feminine 
sympathy  was  the  flux  with  which  men  made 
solid  their  minds  into  a  unanimous  purpose. 
He  had  been  speaking  of  that  war  a  few  weeks 
after  Louvaine  and  I  had  risen  and  had  stood 
very  tall  and  very  haughty  before  him  and  my 
father. 

"  The  women  of  France  are  to  come  after 


16  The  Daredevil 

this  carnage  to  mold  a  nation  from  what 
remains  to  them,  Monsieur,"  I  had  said  to  him 
as  I  looked  straight  into  his  face.  "  Is  not  the 
courage  of  women  a  war  supply  upon  which  to 
rely?" 

"  God !  what  are  the  young  women  —  such 
women  as  she  —  going  to  do  in  the  years  that 
come  after  the  deluge,  Henri  of  America  ?  "  he 
had  made  a  muttering  question  to  my  father  as 
his  old  eyes  smouldered  over  me  in  the  fire 
light. 

From  the  memory  of  the  smoking  room  at 
the  Chateau  de  Grez  my  mind  suddenly  returned 
to  the  rail  of  the  ship  and  the  Frenchman 
beside  me,  who  was  looking  into  my  face  with 
the  same  kindly  question  as  to  my  future  that 
had  been  in  the  eyes  of  my  old  godfather  and 
which  had  stirred  my  father's  heart  to  its  Amer 
ican  depths  and  made  him  send  me  back  to  his 
own  country. 

"  Ah,  yes,  that  courage  is  a  good  weapon  with 
which  to  adventure  in  this  America  of  the  Griz 
zled  Bear,  Mademoiselle,"  I  found  the  strange 
man  saying  to  me  with  a  nice  amusement  as 
well  as  interest. 


Sparkling  Waves  17 

"  My  father  had  shot  seven  grizzlies  before 
his  twenty-first  birthday.  We  have  the  skins, 
four  of  them,  in  the  great  hall  of  the  Chateau 
de  Grez  —  or  —  or  we  did  have  them  before  - 
before  —  "  My  voice  faltered  and  I  could  not 
continue  speaking  for  the  tears  that  rose  in  my 
throat  and  eyes. 

Quickly  the  man  at  my  side  turned  his  broad 
shoulders  so  that  he  should  shield  me  from  the 
laughing  and  exclaiming  groups  of  people  upon 
the  deck  near  us. 

''  Before  Ypres,  Mademoiselle?"  he  asked 
with  tears  also  in  the  depths  of  his  voice. 

"  Yes,"  I  answered.  "  And  I  am  now  going 
into  the  great  America  with  my  crippled  brother 
and  his  nurse  —  alone.  It  is  the  land  of  my 
father  and  I  have  his  courage  —  I  must  have 
also  that  of  a  French  woman.  I  have  it,  Mon 
sieur,"  and  as  I  spoke  I  drew  myself  to  my  full, 
broad-shouldered  height,  which  was  almost 
equal  to  that  of  the  man  beside  me. 

"  Mademoiselle,  I  salute  the  courage  born  of 
an  American  who  fought  before  the  guns  of  the 
Marne  and  of  a  French  woman  who  sent  him 
there ! "  And  as  he  spoke  thus  he  removed 


18  The  Daredevil 

from  his  head  his  silk  deck  cap  and  held  it  at 
his  shoulder  in  a  way  that  I  knew  was  a  salute 
from  a  French  officer  to  the  memory  of  a 
brother.  "  And  also  may  I  be  permitted  to 
present  myself,  as  it  is  a  sad  necessity  that  you 
travel  without  one  from  whom  I  might  request 
the  introduction?"  he  asked  of  me  with  a 
beautiful  reverence. 

After  a  search  in  his  pocket  for  a  few  sec 
onds  he  at  last  discovered  a  case  of  leather  and 
presented  to  me  a  card.  As  he  handed  it  to  me 
his  color  rose  up  under  his  black  eyes  and  grave 
trouble  looked  from  between  their  long  black 
lashes.  I  glanced  down  at  the  card  and  read: 

Capitaine,  le  Count  Armond  de  Lasselles, 

Paris, 

France. 
44th  Chasseurs  de  le  Republique  Francaise. 

"  Monsieur  le  Count,  I  know,  I  know  why 
it  is  that  you  go  to  America !  "  I  made  excla 
mation  as  I  clasped  to  my  breast  my  hands  and 
my  eyes  shone  with  excitement.  "  I  have  read 
it  in  Le  Matin  just  the  day  before  yesterday. 
You  go  to  buy  grain  against  the  winter  of  star 
vation  in  the  Republique.  No  man  is  so  great 


Sparkling  Waves  19 

a  financier  as  you  and  so  brave  a  soldier,  with 
your  wound  not  healed  from  the  trenches  in 
the  Vosges.  Monsieur,  I  salute  you ! "  and  I 
bent  my  head  and  held  out  my  hand  to  him. 

"  We're  to  expect  nimble  wits  as  well  as  cour 
age  of  you  young  —  shall  I  say  American 
women?  "  he  laughed  as  he  bent  over  my  hand. 
"  Now  shall  I  not  be  led  for  introduction  to 
the  small  brother  and  the  old  nurse?"  he  asked 
with  much  friendly  interest  in  his  kind  eyes. 

It  was  a  very  wonderful  thing  to  observe  the 
wee  Pierre  listen  to  the  narration  of  Capitaine, 
the  Count  de  Lasselles,  concerning  the  actions  of 
a  small  boy  who  had  run  out  of  a  night  of  shot 
and  shell  into  the  heart  of  his  regiment  and 
who  had  now  lived  five  months  in  the  trenches 
with  them.  Pierre's  small  face  is  all  of  France 
and  in  his  heart  under  his  bent  chest  burns  a 
soul  all  of  France.  It  is  as  if  in  her  death,  at 
his  birth,  my  beautiful  mother  had  stamped  her 
race  upon  him  with  the  greater  emphasis. 

"  Is  it  that  the  small  Gaston  is  a  daredevil 
like  is  my  Bob?  "  he  questioned  as  we  all  made 
a  laughter  at  the  story  of  the  Count  de  Lasselles 
concerning  the  sortie  of  the  small  idol  from  the 


20  The  Daredevil 

trenches  in  the  dead  of  one  peaceful  night  to 
return  with  a  very  wide  thick  flannel  shirt  of 
one  of  the  Bodies,  which  he  had  caught  hang 
ing  upon  a  temporary  laundry  line  back  of  the 
German  trenches. 

At  that  English  "daredevil"  word  I  was  in 
rny  mind  again  back  in  the  old  Chateau  de  Grez 
and  into  my  own  childhood. 

"  You  young  daredevil,  you,  hold  tight  to 
that  vine  until  I  get  a  grip  on  your  wrist,  or 
you'll  dash  us  both  on  the  rocks  below,"  was  the 
exact  sentence  with  which  my  father  bestowed 
my  title  upon  me  as  he  hung  by  his  heels 
out  of  a  window  of  the  old  vine-covered  Cha 
teau  de  Grez. 

"  It  is  one  large  mistake  that  my  jeune  file 
is  born  what  you  call  a  boy  in  heart.  Helas!  " 
sobbed  my  beautiful  young  French  mother  as 
she  regarded  us  from  the  garden  below. 

"  If  you  were  a  boy  I'd  thrash  you  within  an 
inch  of  your  life,  but  as  you  are  a  girl  I  sup 
pose  it  is  permissible  for  me  to  admire  your 
pluck,  Mademoiselle  Roberta,"  said  my  father 
as  he  landed  me  in  the  music  room  by  his  side 
while  an  exchange  of  excited  sentences  went  on 


Sparkling  Waves  21 

between  my  mother  and  old  Nannette  in  the 
garden  below.  "  What  were  you  doing  out  on 
that  ledge,  anyway?  It  is  more  than  a  hundred 
feet  to  the  ground  and  the  rocks." 

"  I  was  making  the  hunt  through  Yellowstone 
Park  that  you  have  related  to  me,  father,  and  I 
prefer  that  you  give  me  a  boy's  punishment.  If 
I  have  a  boy's  what  you  call  '  pluck,'  I  should 
have  a  boy's  what  you  call  '  thrashing.'  Mon 
sieur,  I  make  that  demand.  I  am  the  Marquise 
de  Grez  and  Bye,  and  it  may  be  that  as  you 
are  an  American  you  do  not  understand  fully 
the  honor  of  the  house  of  Grez."  I  can  remem 
ber  that  as  I  spoke  I  drew  my  ten-year  old  body 
up  to  its  full  height,  which  must  have  been  over 
that  of  twelve  years,  and  looked  my  father 
straight  in  the  face  with  a  glance  of  extreme 
hauteur  as  near  as  was  possible  to  that  of  the 
portrait  of  the  old  Marquis  de  Grez,  who  died 
fighting  on  the  field  of  Flanders. 

"  Eh,  la  la,  what  is  it  I  have  produced  for 
you,  Henri  of  America?  It  is  not  a  proper 
jeune  fille,  nor  do  I  know  what  punishment  to 
impose  upon  her;  but  with  you  I  must  laugh," 
with  which  my  beautiful  mother  from  the  door- 


The  Daredevil 

way  threw  herself  into  the  arms  of  her  young 
American  husband  and  her  laughter  of  silver 
mingled  with  his  deep  laugh  of  a  great  joy. 

:' Don't  worry,  Celeste;  Bob  is  just  a  clear 
throw-back  to  her  great-grandmother,  Nancy 
Donaldson,  who  shot  two  Indians  and  a  bear  in 
defense  of  her  kiddies  one  afternoon  while  my 
maternal  grandsire  was  in  the  stockades  pre 
siding  over  the  council  in  which  was  laid  down 
the  first  broad  draft  for  the  formation  of  the 
Commonwealth  of  Harpeth.  I'm  sorry,  dear, 
that  she  is  so  vigorously  American  that  she  has 
to  climb  the  Rocky  Mountains  even  here  in  the 
garden  spot  of  France.  Just  now  she  is  French 
enough  to  be  dealing  with  me  in  the  terms  of 
that  jolly  old  boy  of  Flanders  fame  in  the  hall 
downstairs;  but  cheer  up,  sweetheart,  she's  a 
wild,  daredevil  American  and  I'm  going  to  send 
her  back  to  the  plains  as  soon  as  she  speaks 
her  native  tongue  with  less  French  accent. 
Then  the  rest  of  us  can  be  happily  French  for 
ever  after." 

"  I  will  speak  as  you  do,  my  father,  from 
this  moment  forth,"  I  answered  him  with  some 
thing  that  was  wild  and  fierce  and  free  rising 


Sparkling  Waves  23 

in  my  child's  heart.  "  I  will  not  be  a  grande 
dame  of  France.  I  am  a  woman  of  America. 
I  speak  only  United  States."  And  I  clung  to 
my  father's  arm  as  he  drew  me  to  him  and 
embraced  both  my  laughing  mother  and  me, 
before  I  was  delivered  to  old  Nannette  who, 
with  affectionate  French  grumblings,  led  me 
away  to  the  nursery  for  repairs. 

The  scene  had  become  fixed  in  my  memory, 
for  from  it  had  sprung  a  friendship  of  a  great 
closeness  with  my  wonderful  American  father 
whom  love  had  chained  in  France.  When  he 
rode  the  great  hunter  that  had  come  across  to 
him  from  a  friend  in  Kentucky  I  demanded  to 
cling  behind  him  or  to  sit  the  saddle  in  front 
of  him,  even  at  times  running  at  his  side  as 
long  as  my  breath  held  out,  to  rise  on  his  stir 
rup,  like  the  great  terrifying  Scotchmen  do  in 
battles,  and  cling  as  Kentuck  made  flight  over 
wall  or  fence.  My  very  slim  and  strong  hands 
could  not  be  kept  from  the  steering  wheel  of 
his  long  blue  racing  car,  and  I  could  bring 
down  a  hare  out  of  the  field  with  any  gun  he 
possessed  as  unerringly  as  could  he.  I  lived 
his  life  with  him  hour  by  hour,  learned  to  think 


24  The  Daredevil 

as  he  thought,  to  speak  his  easy  transatlantic 
speech,  and  did  equal  trencher  duty  with  him 
at  all  times,  so  that  muscle  and  brawn  were 
packed  on  my  tall,  broad  woman's  body  with  the 
same  compactness  as  it  was  packed  upon  his,  by 
the  time  I  had  reached  my  twenty-first  birthday. 
By  that  time  he  and  I  had  been  alone  together 
for  eight  long  years,  for  my  mother  had  left 
us  with  tiny,  misshapen  Pierre  as  a  heart  bur 
den  but  with  only  each  other  to  be  companions. 
The  efforts  of  some  of  my  mother's  distant 
relatives  and  friends  to  make  me  into  the  tra 
ditional  young  French  Marquise  had  resulted  in 
giving  to  me  a  very  beautiful  grande  dame 
manner  to  use  when  I  stood  in  need  of  it,  which 
I  took  a  care  was  not  too  often.  Because  I 
had  been  born  to  a  woman's  estate  I  considered 
I  must  manage  well  beautiful  skirts  and  lacy 
fans,  but  no  oftener  than  was  necessary,  I 
decided.  I  went  for  the  most  of  my  days  habited 
in  English  knickerbockers  under  short  corduroy 
skirts,  worn  with  a  many-pocketed  hunting 
blouse.  On  the  night  of  my  presentation  at 
the  salon  of  my  distant  relative,  the  old  Countess 
de  Rochampierre,  I  had  to  apologize  to  a  young 


Sparkling  Waves  25 

Russian  attache  for  searching  with  desperation 
for  the  bit  of  lace  called  a  handkerchief,  among 
the  laces  and  ruffles  of  my  evening  gown  in 
the  regions  where  I  had  been  accustomed  to 
find  sensible  pockets. 

"  And  is  it  possible  that  Mademoiselle  Ameri- 
caine  hunts  as  well  as  she  makes  the  dance?" 
was  his  delighted  answer  to  my  explanation, 
which  led  into  a  half-hour  description  of  a  raw 
morning  in  the  field  just  three  days  before 
in  England,  where  my  father  and  I  had  gone 
over  for  a  week's  hunting  with  Lord  Gordon 
Leigh  at  Leigholm. 

"  And  then  some,"  I  returned  answer  with 
delight  at  his  sympathy  in  my  narration  of  the 
sport.  I  liked  very  well  the  American  slang 
that  my  father's  friends  were  always  glad  to 
teach  to  me,  and  that  gave  to  him  both  amuse 
ment  and  delight  when  I  used  it  in  his 
presence. 

Also  I  liked  well  that  young  Russian  and  he 
came  many  times  to  the  Chateau  de  Grez  and 
Bye  before  he  left  to  join  his  regiment  of 
Russian  Cossacks  in  the  Carpathians. 

And  this  time  it  was  from  the  Carpathians 


26  The  Daredevil 

that  I  returned  to  the  ship  deck  to  find  wee 
Pierre  laughing  again  over  the  very  small  dog 
that  brought  into  the  French  trenches  a  very 
large  and  stupid  sheep  from  the  flock  back  of 
the  German  trenches. 

"  And  your  medal  of  honor,  Monsieur  le 
Capitaine;  is  it  permitted  that  I  lay  for  a  little 
moment  just  one  finger  upon  it  ?  "  Pierre  asked 
of  him  as  the  great  soldier  stood  tall  above  the 
steamer  chair  and  gave  to  the  little  Frenchman 
the  salute  of  an  officer. 

Nannette  sobbed  into  her  lace  and  I  turned 
my  head  away  as  the  tall  man  bent  and  laid  the 
frail  little  hand  against  his  decoration  which 
he  wore  almost  entirely  hidden  under  the  pocket 
of  his  tweed  Norfolk  of  English  manufacture. 
Only  French  eyes  like  wee  Pierre's  could  have 
seen  it  pinned  there  hidden  over  his  heart.  I 
think  he  wore  it  to  give  him  a  large  courage 
for  his  mission  that  meant  bread  or  starvation 
to  so  many  of  his  people. 

"  Ah,  Monsieur  le  Capitaine,"  I  said  to  him 
with  a  softness  of  tears  in  my  throat,  "  I  would 
that  there  was  some  little  thing  that  I  might  do 
to  serve  France.  I  do  so  long  to  go  into  those 


Sparkling  Waves  27 

awful  trenches  with  that  red  cross  on  my  arm, 
as  it  is  not  permitted  to  me  to  carry  a  gun, 
which  I  can  use  much  better  than  many  men 
now  handling  them  with  bullets  against  the 
enemy;  but  it  is  necessary  that  I  obey  the  com 
mands  of  my  soldier  father  and  take  to  a  safety 
the  small  Pierre."  And  as  we  spoke  he  walked 
beside  me  to  the  prow  of  the  large  ship  so  that 
to  us  was  a  view  of  the  heavens  of  blue  beyond 
which  lay  our  America. 

"  My  child,  there  is  a  great  service  which 
you  can  render  France,"  he  answered  me  as  we 
stopped  to  watch  the  great  white  waves  flung 
aside  from  the  ship.  "France  needs  friends  in 
America,  great  powerful  friends  who  will  help 
her  in  contracting  for  food  and  all  other  muni 
tions.  A  beautiful  woman  can  do  much  in  win 
ning  those  friends.  You  go  to  your  uncle,  who 
is  one  of  those  in  power  in  a  State  in  that  fruit 
ful  valley  of  the  Mississippi  from  which  I  hope 
that  my  lieutenant,  Count  de  Bourdon,  whom  I 
sent  on  that  mission,  will  get  many  mules  to 
carry  food  to  the  hungry  boys  in  the  trenches 
when  mud  is  too  deep  for  gasoline.  Make  of 
him  and  everyone  your  friend  and  through  you 


28  The  Daredevil 

the  friend  of  our  struggling  country.  Tell  them 
of  France,  laugh  with  them  for  the  joy  to  come 
when  France,  all  France,  with  Alsace  and  beau 
tiful  Lorraine,  is  free;  and  make  them  weep 
with  you  for  her  struggles.  Who  knows  but 
that  through  you  may  come  some  wonderful 
strength  added  to  your  old  country  from  the 
new,  whose  blood  runs  in  your  veins  as  well?" 

"  All  of  that  I  will  do,  mon  Capitaine.  I  so 
enlist  myself."  And  as  I  spoke  I  drew  myself 
up  unto  the  greatest  height  possible  to  me.  "  I 
will  be  of  the  army  that  feeds,  rather  than  of 
that  which  kills." 

"  Mon  Dieu,  child,  what  is  possible  to  you  to 
do  has  no  limit.  Also,  I  say  to  you,  watch  and 
be  on  your  guard  for  aught  that  may  harm 
France.  In  America  are  spies.  I  have  been 
warned.  Also  there  are  those  who  practice 
deceptions  in  contracts.  It  is  for  the  purpose 
to  so  guard  that  I  come  to  America." 

"  I  also  will  so  guard,"  I  made  answer  to  my 
Capitaine,  the  Count  de  Lasselles,  as  we  again 
came  in  our  walk  to  the  side  of  wee  Pierre  and 
old  Nannette. 


CHAPTER  II 

VIVE  LA  FRANCE 

And  after  that  first  day  there  were  many 
hours  that  the  Capitaine,  the  Count  de  Lasselles, 
spent  with  little  Pierre  and  the  good  Nannette, 
as  she  sat  knitting  always  with  the  sun  on  the 
water  reddening  her  round  cheeks,  while  I  had 
much  pleasure  with  many  friends  who  came  to 
me  upon  the  ship. 

A  very  fine  young  man  who  was  named 
William  Raines,  from  the  State  of  Saint  Louis, 
instructed  me  in  several  beautiful  dances,  but  I 
do  not  think  he  \vas  held  in  the  esteem  which  he 
deserved  by  another  of  his  American  brothers 
by  the  name  of  Peter  Scudder,  whose  home  was 
in  the  town  of  Philadelphia. 

"  Dancing  with  Scudder  must  be  like  going  to 
your  grandmother's  funeral  over  the  old  State 
Road  in  a  rockaway,"  was  the  comment  that 
Mr.  William  Raines  made  upon  his  friend  Mr. 

29 


30  The  Daredevil 

Peter  Scudder,  and  what  Mr.  Scudder  said  of 
him  was  of  the  same  unkindness. 

"  Raines'  dancing  is  extremely  like  Saint 
Louis:  delightfully  rapid  but  crude,"  was  his 
comment. 

I  should  have  been  regretful  of  the  unkind- 
ness  between  those  two  very  nice  Americans 
but  for  a  beautiful  good  to  France  that  was 
brought  about  by  the  desire  of  each  to  please 
me  more  than  the  other. 

The  many  ladies  upon  the  ship  had  been  of 
exceeding  kindness  to  me  because  of  the  loveli 
ness  of  small  Pierre's  dark  face  and  the  pity 
of  his  crooked  back.  Old  Nannette  was  of  a 
very  great  popularity  with  all  of  those  ladies 
and  she  spent  many  hours  in  recounting  the 
glories  of  the  old  Chateau  de  Grez  and  Bye  and 
the  family  which  had  inhabited  it  since  the 
fourteenth  century.  So  it  came  about  that 
many  friends  were  made  for  France  among 
them. 

Now  that  Mr.  William  Raines  had  a  very 
nice  idea  to  invite  in  my  honor  all  of  the  ladies 
who  were  friends  to  me,  and  many  distinguished 
gentlemen  of  politics  and  of  universities  and 


Vive  la  France!  31 

other  large  affairs,  who  were  returning  from 
business  in  Europe  to  more  business  in  Amer 
ica,  to  be  present  while  a  young  boy  of  France, 
who  was  among  those  in  the  steerage  going  to 
the  freedom  of  America  with  his  mother  who 
had  been  widowed  at  Ypres,   sang  in  a  very 
lovely  voice  many  French  folk  songs  and  songs 
of   war   to   all   present.      And   at   that   singing 
many  tears  flowed  and  so  much  money  was  put 
into  the  hands  of  the  boy  that  a  future  for  the 
very   sad  little   French   family   was   assured   in 
America.     And  I  also  wept.     I  was  taken  into 
the    embrace    of    all    of    those    kind    American 
women  and  assured  of  so  much  care  and  affec 
tion  in  that  land  of  my  father,  that  I  felt  of  a 
very  great  richness  in  spite  of  the  small  sum 
of  money  in  the  heel  of  Nannette's  rough  stock 
ing.     And  as  I  received  all  of  these  beautiful 
attentions  I  perceived  the  eyes  of  my  Capitaine, 
the  Count  de  Lasselles,  fixed  upon  me  with  a 
deep  gratitude  and  pride.     It  was  all  of  a  great 
pleasure  to  me  except  that  I  did  not  like  very 
well  to  be  so  distinguished  by  a  young  man, 
which  made  the  French  grande  dame  in  me  to 
shrink. 


32  The  Daredevil 

"Mais,  vive  la  France"  I  murmured  to 
myself  and  was  happy  again. 

But,  alas!  At  the  joy  of  all  this  entertain 
ment  there  was  one  sadness.  It  was  of  my  dear 
friend,  Mr.  Peter  Scudder.  There  was  no 
pleasure,  but  great  seriousness,  in  his  face 
during  the  whole  afternoon. 

"  Don't  mind  him ;  poor  Pete's  chewing  a 
grouch,"  was  what  his  good  friend  Mr.  William 
Raines  answered  to  my  lament  over  his  sadness. 
And  that  sadness  lasted  for  three  days,  up  unto 
the  day  before  we  came  to  a  sight  of  the  Lady 
of  Liberty  of  America.  Then  his  face  found 
a  great  radiance  and  I  perceived  that  he  was 
full  of  much  business.  I  found  him  with  a 
notebook,  in  deep  consultation  with  my  Capi- 
taine,  the  Count  de  Lasselles,  and  then  in 
earnest  consultation  with  many  of  the  other 
gentlemen.  I  had  much  wonder;  but  at  the 
dinner  that  night,  which  was  the  last  before  we 
made  the  landing  to  America,  I  discovered  all 
of  his  good  actions.  While  we  were  at  the  last 
of  the  coffee,  Mr.  Peter  Scudder  arose  and 
made  a  bow  to  the  capitaine  of  the  ship,  beside 
whom  I  sat,  which  salutation  did  not  in  any 


Vive  la  France!  33 

way  include  me,  and  then  turned  to  the  direction 
of  my  Capitaine,  the  Count  de  Lasselles. 

"  Sir,"  he  said  in  that  very  nice  voice  which 
it  is  said  is  of  Philadelphia,  "  I  have  the  honor 
to  ask  you  if  you  will  take  charge  of  a  fund  of 
five  thousand  dollars,  which  has  been  given  by 
the  passengers  of  this  boat,  to  be  sent  imme 
diately  to  a  field  hospital  of  France,  preferably 
the  nearest  in  need  to  the  battlefield  of  the 
Marne."  And  with  no  more  of  a  speech  than 
that  he  seated  himself  and  did  not  so  much  as 
make  a  glance  in  my  direction  when  he  men 
tioned  the  battlefield  on  which  my  father  had 
died.  I  think  that  Mr.  Peter  Scudder  is  a  very 
great  gentleman  and  I  sat  very  still  and  white, 
with  my  head  held  high  and  tears  rising  from 
the  depths  of  France  in  my  heart. 

"  My  honored  friends,"  answered  my  Capi 
taine,  the  Count  de  Lasselles,  as  he  rose  from 
his  place  at  the  foot  of  the  table  and  stood  tall 
and  slim  in  the  manner  of  a  great  soldier,  "  it 
is  impossible  that  I  say  to  you  my  gratitude  for 
this  expression  of  your  friendship  for  my  coun 
try.  So  many  dollars  will  bring  life  and  an 
end  of  suffering  to  many  hundreds  of  my  brave 


34  The  Daredevil 

boys,  but  the  good  will  and  sympathy  it  repre 
sents  from  America  to  France  will  do  still  more. 
The  fund  shall  go  to  the  place  you  request  and 
I  now  beg  to  offer  to  you  a  toast  that  will  be 
of  an  understanding  to  you."  And  at  that  mo 
ment  he  raised  his  glass  of  champagne  and  said : 

"  To  the  destiny  of  those  born  of  American 
and  French  blood  commingled ! " 

All  those  present  arose  to  their  feet  and 
drank  that  toast  with  loving  looking  at  me,  and 
I  did  not  know  what  I  should  do  until  that 
good  old  gray  boat  capitaine  patted  me  upon 
the  shoulder  and  said  across  his  empty  glass: 

"  God  bless  and  keep  you,  child !  " 

"  I  thank  everybody,"  I  answered  as  I  went 
into  the  embrace  of  my  very  large  lady  friend 
from  the  State  of  Cincinnati,  and  then  into  the 
embrace  of  the  other  ladies. 

"  I've  been  knitting  all  day  for  two  months 
but  I'm  going  to  begin  to  sit  up  at  night," 
sobbed  the  lady  from  a  queer  Keokuk  name  as 
I  took  her  into  my  embrace  on  account  of  her 
extreme  smallness. 

It  was  at  a  very  late  hour,  just  before  retir 
ing,  that  I  ascended  to  the  deck  with  my 


Vive  la  France!  35 

Capitaine  to  view  the  effect  of  a  very  young 
moon  on  the  waves  of  the  ocean. 

"  Is  it  that  you  think  now  your  soldier  of 
France  has  done  your  command  well,  mon 
Capitaine?  "  I  asked  of  him. 

"  Most  extremely  well,  and  entirely  in  the 
mode  of  a  woman.  Those  two  young  men  have 
made  of  themselves  very  noble  competitors  for 
your  favor,  but  remember  that  it  is  of  a  truth 
that  only  a  '  daredevil '  would  bring  together 
such  high  explosives.  I  salute  you!"  he  made 
answer  to  me  with  a  laugh  which  ended  in  a 
sigh.  "  Child,  little  child,"  he  continued  as  he 
bent  over  my  hand  to  kiss  it  as  he  did  each 
night  before  he  conducted  me  to  the  head  of  the 
stairs  leading  down  into  my  cabin,  "  above  all 
take  unto  yourself  all  that  is  possible  of  joy  in 
the  present,  for  we  do  not  know  what  the  sup 
ply  will  be  for  the  future.  Perhaps  it  will  be 
like  the  harvests  of  France  —  burned  up  in  a 
world-conflagration." 

"  Ah,  but,  mon  Capitaine,  will  you  not  dance 
with  me  once  to-night  for  a  joy.  It  will  be 
our  last  on  the  ship  before  we  land  to-mor 
row.  You  have  never  danced  with  me  and 


36  The  Daredevil 

to-morrow  you  are  lost  from  me  into  the  wilds 
of  that  English  Canada."  And  as  I  spoke  I 
held  out  my  arms  to  him  and  began  to  hum  the 
music  of  that  remarkable  Chin-Chin  fox  dance 
that  I  had  been  dancing  below  with  Mr.  William 
Raines  and  which  the  band  had  just  begun  to 
play  again.  Of  course,  I  knew  that  I  must  be 
very  lovely  in  that  young  moonlight  in  one  of 
the  frocks  that  Nannette  had  purchased  from 
her  very  talented  cousin,  the  couturiere  on  Rue 
Leopold,  and  I  could  see  no  reason  why  I  should 
not  make  a  happiness  for  the  great  gentleman 
of  France  as  well  as  the  young  boy  from 
Philadelphia  and  also  the  one  from  Saint  Louis. 
'  You  are  a  daredevil,  Mademoiselle,  to  pro 
pose  the  dance  to  powder-stained  Armond  Las- 
selles,  but  the  joy  of  you  is  of  a  greatness  and 
I  feel  from  it  a  healing  in  the  night  of  my  soul." 
And  he  reached  out  in  the  moonlight  and  took 
me  into  his  arms  and  danced  me  along  that 
deck  with  a  grace  that  it  would  not  be  possible 
for  either  the  one  from  Philadelphia  or  the 
one  from  Saint  Louis  to  imitate.  That  nice 
but  very  ponderous  lady  from  the  State  of  Cin 
cinnati  who  regarded  us  from  her  steamer  chair, 


Vive  la  France!  37 

enjoyed  it  as  much  as  did  I,  and  she  clapped 
her  large  hands  as  Monsieur  le  Capitaine  swung 
me  around  into  the  quietness  beyond  one  of  the 
tall  chimneys  for  smoke  from  the  engine. 

"  This  is  good-bye,  mon  enfant,  for  I  leave 
the  ship  at  dawn  with  the  tug,  so  that  I  do 
avoid  those  reporters  from  newspapers  and  the 
contract  conspirators.  I  have  advised  Nannette 
that  you  go  to  the  Ritz-Carlton  to  await  your 
Uncle  if  he  be  not  upon  the  dock.  I  go  to  the 
grain  fields  of  Canada  and  then  to  the  West  of 
America.  ...  I  would  that  it  could  be  au 
revoir.  Upon  a  day  that  shall  come,  beautiful 
lady,  perhaps  it  will  be  permitted  to  me  to 
.  .  .  Non,  vive  la  France!  Allez  vite,  cherie 
.  .  .  go  while  I  —  I  —  Vive  la  France! " 

And  tears  came  across  my  eyes  as  I  did  his 
bidding  and  left  him  —  to  France.  In  my  heart 
was  a  desire  to  cling  to  him  in  a  great  fear 
at  being  alone  to  care  for  the  good  Nan 
nette  and  the  small  Pierre,  but  I  knew  he  must 
travel  fast  and  far  on  his  quest  and  that  for 
France  I  must  let  him  go  without  —  a  back 
ward  look.  Would  I  find  in  the  great  land 
of  America  such  another  gallant  gentleman  to 


38  The  Daredevil 

care  for  the  fate  of  the  small  Pierre  and  Nan- 
nette  and  me?  What  did  I  know  of  this  cruel 
Uncle?  Nothing  but  his  hardness  of  heart.  I 
dreaded  the  sight  of  him  that  I  should  find 
upon  the  arrival  of  the  ship  at  the  dock,  which 
would  be  an  answer  to  the  letter  I  had  sent  to 
him  to  inform  him  of  my  coming,  and  I  spent 
my  long  night  in  hate  of  him. 

With  the  arrival  of  the  morning  came  more 
mines  that  exploded  for  me  under  the  waves  of 
my  life  that  had  danced  with  so  little  concern 
through  the  days  upon  the  ship.  A  rain  was 
falling  and  my  friend  of  France  was  gone  from 
me  at  the  beginning  of  day  in  a  boat  that 
is  called  tug.  Upon  Nannette  had  fallen  a 
rheumatism  and  the  small  Pierre  was  in  the 
midst  of  shivering  chills  when  we  at  last  were 
permitted  by  the  very  unpleasant  officer  of 
America  to  go  from  the  ship. 

"  Helas,  it  was  all  of  the  gold  that  he  took 
from  me  for  an  entry  into  this  savage  land 
where  one  piece  of  money  is  as  five  of  that  of 
France.  There  remains  but  a  few  sous  and  a 
gold  piece,"  sobbed  Nannette  as  she  came  from 
her  interview  with  the  immigration  officer  while 


Vive  la  France!  39 

I  stood  beside  Pierre,  deposited  by  a  deck 
steward  on  a  pile  of  our  steamer  blankets. 

"  Did  it  take  all  —  all  of  the  money  to  land, 
Nannette?  Not  all!  "  I  cried  as  I  stretched  out 
my  hand  to  her.  I  did  not  know  as  I  now 
do,  that  the  money  would  have  been  returned 
to  Nannette  had  she  waited  with  patience  and 
not  made  a  hurry  of  returning  to  her  nurslings. 

"  All,  Mademoiselle,"  were  the  words  with 
which  she  answered  me,  and  for  some  very  long 
moments  I  stood  dazed  and  struggled  in  the 
waves  of  that  adventure  I  had  thought  to 
be  life. 

"  I  beg  your  pardon,  Marquise,  but  here  is  a 
letter  the  dock  steward  failed  to  find  you  to 
deliver,"  came  in  the  pleasant  voice  of  that  Mr. 
William  Raines  as  he  raised  a  very  fine  hat  that 
made  him  much  better  to  look  upon  than  the 
cap  of  the  steamer,  and  handed  me  a  large 
letter.  I  took  it  and  came  with  my  head  out 
from  under  the  wave  which  had  dashed  over  me. 

"  Is  there  anything  I  can  do  to  help  you 
through  the  customs?  "  then  came  the  nice  voice 
of  that  Mr.  Peter  Scudder  of  Philadelphia  from 
the  other  side  of  me. 


40  The  Daredevil 

"No,  with  much  gratitude  to  you  both;  I 
must  wait  the  arrival  of  my  Uncle,"  I  made 
answer  to  them  with  my  head  held  very  high. 

'  Then  we'll  see  you  at  the  Ritz  for  tea  at 
five  as  per  promise,"  said  Mr.  William  Raines 
as  he  walked  away  and  left  Mr.  Peter  Scudder, 
who  was  assisting  the  lady  from  Cincinnati  to 
transport  her  very  lovely  dog  to  a  handsome  car 
which  awaited  her.  She  also  had  I  promised  to 
visit  from  that  great  Ritz-Carlton  hotel  and 
she  smiled  in  sweet  friendliness  to  me  as  I  stood 
with  the  letter  in  my  hand  and  watched  all  of 
the  friends  I  had  found  upon  that  ship,  depart 
and  leave  me  with  not  a  place  to  go.  I  stood 
for  many  minutes  motionless  and  then  my  eyes 
perceived  the  letter  in  my  hand.  Surely  it  must 
be  opened  and  read.  It  was  from  the  wicked 
Uncle,  I  knew,  but  it  might  be  that  it  was  not 
of  the  cruelty  that  I  had  expected.  It  would 
excuse  him  no  doubt  from  arrival  in  person  for 
the  expected  greeting  to  his  relatives,  Pierre 
and  myself. 

"  Go  to  it,  Bob,"  I  advised  myself  in  the  lan 
guage  I  had  heard  Mr.  Saint  Louis  use  when 
he  was  forced  to  ask  a  nice  lady,  who  danced 


Vive  la  France!  41 

with  disagreeable  heaviness,  to  trot  the  fox  with 
him  because  of  a  friendship  with  his  mother. 

And  this  is  the  letter  that  my  eyes  read  with 
astonishment,  while  both  the  good  Nannette  and 
small  shivering  Pierre  sat  with  their  eyes  fixed 
upon  my  countenance: 

"  My  dear  nephew  Robert : 

'  Your  arrival  in  America  at  this  time 
suits  me  exactly.  I  need  you  immediately 
in  my  business.  If  you  had  been  the  girl, 
instead  of  the  little  one,  I  would  have  had 
to  dispose  of  you  some  way  —  even  murder. 
I  have  no  use  for  women.  Leave  the  little 
crippled  girl  and  her  nurse,  who  I  feel  sure 
is  an  old  fool,  with  my  good  friend  Dr. 
Mason  Burns,  of  222  South  32nd  St.  He 
has  cured  more  children  of  hip  joint  disease 
than  any  man  in  the  world,  and  he  will 
straighten  her  out  for  us  and  we  can  give 
her  away  to  somebody.  I've  written  him 
instructions.  Leave  her  immediately  and 
come  down  here  to  me  on  the  first  train. 
The  deal  is  held  up  without  you.  Enclosed 
is  a  check  for  a  thousand  dollars.  If  you 


42  The  Daredevil 

are  like  Henry  you'll  need  it,  but  keep  away 
from  Broadway  and  the  women.  Come  on, 
I  say,  by  next  train. 

Your  uncle,    Robert  Carruthers. 
Hayesville,  Harpeth." 

'  The  Uncle  of  America  has  come  to  a  con 
fusion  of  the  sex  between  Pierre  and  me  from 
a  careless  memory  and  the  writing  of  my  hand, 
which  is  of  a  great  boldness,  but  not  to  be 
easily  read,"  I  explained  as  I  read  the  letter 
aloud  to  Pierre  and  Nannette. 

It  took  me  just  one  hour  by  the  clock,  sitting 
there  on  the  pile  of  steamer  wraps  with  the  small 
Pierre  in  the  hollow  of  my  arm,  to  explain  and 
translate  the  sense  of  that  letter  to  old  Nannette, 
and  I  feel  sure  she  would  have  been  sitting  upon 
that  spot  yet  immovable  rather  than  let  me 
depart  from  her  if  I  had  not  put  all  of  my  time 
and  force  upon  the  picturing  to  her  of  a  Pierre 
who  could  come  down  with  her  later  to  me  in  a 
condition  to  run  through  the  gardens  of  Twin 
Oaks,  which  was  the  home  of  his  American 
ancestors.  With  that  vision  constantly  before 
her  she  let  the  porter  and  me  insert  her  into  a 


Vive  la  France!  43 

taxicab  and  extract  her  at  the  door  of  the  small 
private  hospital  of  the  good  Dr.  Burns  who 
was  to  perform  the  miracle  for  the  back  and 
hip  of  small  and  radiant  Pierre. 

'  But  what  is  it  that  I  do  to  permit  the  jeitne 
fille  of  my  beloved  mistress  to  depart  into  this 
city  of  wicked  savages  not  attended  by  me?  I 
cannot.  Do  not  demand  it !  "  were  the  words 
with  which  I  left  her  arguing  with  that  very 
sympathetic  and  sensible  doctor  of  America.  He 
had  not  noticed  a  confusion  of  sex  was  between 
Pierre  and  me  and  he  had  sent  out  the  check 
of  my  wicked  Uncle  and  procured  the  American 
money  for  me.  Also  he  had  given  me  a  few 
directions  that  he  appeared  to  think  of  a  great 
sufficiency  and  had  ordered  a  taxi  to  be  in 
readiness  for  me. 

"  Nonsense,  Nurse,"  he  said  to  Nannctte 
bruskly  but  not  with  unkindness  when  I  had 
translated  to  him  Nannette's  weeping  protests. 
"  A  great  strapping  girl  like  that  can  get  down 
to  the  Harpeth  Valley  all  right  by  herself. 
Nobody's  going  to  eat  her  up,  and  from  the  size 
of  the  biceps  I  detect  under  that  chiffon  I  think 
she  could  give  a  good  account  of  herself  if  any- 


44  The  Daredevil 

body  tried.  How  like  you  are  to  what  Henry 
was  at  your  age,  child,  God  bless  you!  I'd  go 
to  the  station  with  you  but  I've  a  patient  all 
prepared  for  an  operation.  Shall  I  send  a  nurse 
with  you?  " 

"  No,  please,  good  Doctor,  and  good-bye,"  I 
said,  with  a  great  haste  as  I  hurriedly  em 
braced  both  Nannette  and  the  small  Pierre  and 
departed  down  the  broad  steps  into  the  taxi  with 
the  open  door. 

:<  Pennsylvania  Station!  Your  train  may  not 
leave  for  hours,  but  you  can  get  your  baggage 
together.  Good-bye,"  said  that  good  Doctor  as 
he  shut  the  door  and  returned  to  his  pursuit  of 
making  human  beings  either  whole  or  dead. 

"  And  now,  Roberta  Carruthers,  no  longer 
Marquise  of  Grez  and  Bye,  you  are  in  your 
America,  and  let's  see  you  do  some  hustling," 
as  remarked  that  Mr.  Saint  Louis  to  Mr.  Peter 
Scudder  at  cards. 

And  while  that  very  swift  taxi  conveyed  me 
to  the  large  station  that  is  as  beautiful  as  a 
cathedral  I  did  some  what  I  name  "  tall  think 
ing."  What  would  be  the  result  of  my  womanly 
arrival  in  that  State  of  Harpeth  of  my  wicked 


Vive  la  France!  45 

Uncle?  Would  he  be  forced  to  murder  me  as 
his  letter  had  said?  And  if  in  his  anger  over 
the  mistake  he  had  made  from  my  letter,  written 
in  that  very  bold  and  difficult  handwriting,  he 
should  turn  from  me,  and  the  good  Nannette 
and  Pierre  as  well,  what  would  I  then  do?  All 
must  be  enacted  that  a  cure  for  Pierre  be  ob 
tained.  With  great  energy  I  had  been  thinking, 
but  I  did  not  know  what  it  was  that  I  should 
do  to  prevent  his  anger  when  I  arrived  to  him 
as  a  woman  until  suddenly  the  good  Doctor 
Burns'  kindness  in  marking  the  resemblance  of 
me  to  my  father  in  his  extreme  youth  made  an 
entry  into  my  brain  and  was  received  with  the 
greatest  welcome  by  the  daredevil  who  there 
resides. 

'  Very  well,  Robert  Carruthers,  who  is  no 
longer  the  beautiful  Marquise  of  Grez  and  Bye, 
you  will  be  that  husky  nephew  to  your  wicked 
Uncle  in  the  State  of  Harpeth  whom  he  '  needs 
in  his  business.'  What  is  it  that  you  lack  of  a 
man's  estate  save  the  clothes,  which  you  have 
money  in  your  pockets  to  obtain  after  you  have 
purchased  the  ticket  upon  the  railway  train?  " 
A  decision  had  been  made  and  action  upon  it 


46  The  Daredevil 

had  begun  in  less  than  a  half  hour  after  the 
purchase  of  the  ticket  for  the  State  of  Har- 
peth  had  been  accomplished. 

As  my  father  had  taught  me  observation  in 
hunting,  I  had  remarked  a  large  shop  for  the 
clothing  of  men  upon  the  Sixth  Avenue  near 
to  the  station.  I  made  my  way  into  it  and  by 
a  very  nice  fiction  of  an  invalid  brother  whom 
I  was  taking  to  the  South  of  America  I  was 
able  to  buy  for  a  few  dollars  less  than  was  in 
my  pocket  two  most  interesting  bags  of  apparel 
for  a  handsome  young  man  of  fashion.  The 
man  who  assisted  me  to  buy  was  very  large, 
with  a  head  only  ornamented  with  a  drapery 
of  gray  hair  around  the  edges,  and  he  spoke 
much  of  what  his  son  deemed  suitable  to  make 
appearance  in  the  prevailing  mode. 

"  He's  at  tea  at  the  Ritz-Carlton  with  a  lady 
friend  this  afternoon,  and  I  wish  you  could  have 
saw  him  when  he  left  the  store  to  meet  her," 
he  said  as  he  laid  the  last  of  the  silk  scarfs  and 
hose  into  one  of  the  large  flat  bags  I  had  pur 
chased  and  which  he  had  packed  as  I  selected. 
"  He  had  on  the  match  to  these  gray  tweeds 
and  was  fitted  out  in  lavender  from  the  skin 


Vive  la  France!  47 

out.      Now   what   are  you  going  to   do   about 
shoes,  Miss?  " 

'  That  I  do  not  know,  kind  sir,"  I  made 
answer  with  a  great  perplexity.  "  I  think  that 
the  feet  of  my  relative  are  about  the  size  of 
those  I  possess." 

"  Most  women  would  wear  shoes  near  the  size 
of  their  brothers'  if  they  didn't  prefer  to  waddle 
and  limp  along  with  their  feet  scrouged.  Go  over 
to  the  shoe  department  and  the  clerk  will  fit 
you  out  with  what  you  need  in  about  two  sizes 
larger  than  you  wear.  If  they  are  not  right 
you  can  tell  just  about  what  will  be,  and 
exchange  'em  by  special  messenger.  I'll  pack 
all  this  shipshape  before  you  come  back."  With 
which  direction  I  left  the  kind  man  and  made 
my  way  to  another  of  equal  kindness. 

"  I  have  had  upon  my  feet  the  shoes  of  my 
brother  when  in  accidents  while  at  hunting  and 
fishing,  and  I  think  I  can  ascertain  a  good  fit 
ting,"  I  made  a  falsification  to  the  very  polite 
young  man  who  stood  with  attention  and  sym 
pathy  to  wait  upon  me. 

"  We'll  make  a  selection  and  then  try  one 
pair  on,"  he  advised  me. 


48  The  Daredevil 

And  as  I  gave  to  him  a  fine  description  of  the 
clothing  I  had  purchased  he  brought  forth  in 
accord  many  wonderful  boots  and  shoes  for  the 
riding  and  a  walking  and  also  for  the  dance.  I 
had  never  observed  that  the  shoes  of  men  were 
of  such  an  ugliness;  but  when  one  was  upon 
my  foot,  in  place  of  the  shoe  of  much  beauty 
which  I  discarded,  both  I  and  the  young  man 
had  a  fine  laugh. 

"  Mais,  they  are  of  a  great  comfort,"  I  fur 
ther  remarked.  "  And  they  feel  about  as  did 
those  of  my  brother,  who  is  of  a  small  frame." 

"  Well,  if  they  are  not  right,  send  'em  back 
and  I'll  change  'em,"  he  answered  with  great 
interest. 

After  the  exchange  of  much  money  between 
us,  the  young  man  went  with  me  to  the  other 
kind  old  man  of  the  white  hair,  and  together 
they  made  places  in  the  two  bags  for  the  shoes. 

"  Just  seven  hundred  dollars  all  told,  and  the 
like  of  that  outfit  couldn't  be  bought  any  other 
place  of  style  in  New  York  for  less  than  a  thou 
sand,  Miss,"  remarked  to  me  the  elderly  clerk 
as  he  closed  and  made  fast  with  keys  the  two 
bags.  "  Shall  I  send  'em  special?  " 


Vive  la  France!  49 

"  I'll  thank  you  that  you  call  a  taxi  for  me, 
Monsieur,"  I  answered,  and  as  he  had  men 
tioned  that  Ritz-Carlton  Hotel,  in  conversa 
tion  earlier,  that  very  wicked  daredevil  that 
resides  within  me  awoke  at  attention  with  the 
large  ears  of  great  mischief.  I  felt  in  my 
pocket  that  there  was  still  much  gold,  and  the 
man  from  whom  I  had  purchased  the  ticket  to 
the  State  of  Harpeth  had  assured  me  that  the 
train  did  not  depart  until  the  hour  of  six  in  the 
evening. 

"To  the  Hotel  of  the  Ritz-Carlton,"  I  com 
manded  the  man  of  the  taxi  as  he  made  fast 
the  door. 

It  then  transpired  that  one  hour  from  the 
time  that  the  young  Mademoiselle  Grez,  who 
had  registered  at  that  large  hotel  with  all  of 
her  luggage  from  the  steamer  while  by  lies  her 
father  was  represented  as  still  engaged  with 
the  customs,  entered  her  room,  there  emerged 
young  Mr.  Robert  Carruthers,  who,  after  pay 
ing  his  bill  in  his  room  had  a  hall  boy  send  his 
bags  on  ahead  of  him  to  the  Pennsylvania  Sta 
tion  while  he  sauntered  into  the  tea  room.  I 
have  never  again  met  with  the  wonderful 


50  The  Daredevil 

dresses  I  left  in  that  hotel  room.  I  hope  the 
poor  and  beautiful  domestic,  who  assisted  me 
in  cutting  my  hair  into  a  football  shortness  after 
the  mode  of  a  very  beautiful  woman  dancer 
which  she  said  girls  of  much  foolishness  in 
America  have  affected,  was  rewarded  with  them. 
And  as  I  stood  in  the  center  of  the  great  room 
of  conversation  and  lights  and  flowers  and 
music  I  again  became  the  frightened  girl  upon 
the  dock  of  America  and  I  felt  as  if  I  must  flee, 
but  at  that  exact  moment  I  beheld  my  Mr. 
William  Raines  of  Saint  Louis  and  my  Mr. 
Peter  Scudder  of  Philadelphia  seated  at  a  table 
in  a  very  choice  corner  and  there  was  a  vacant 
chair  between  them.  Upon  each  other  they 
were  glaring  and  before  I  had  a  thought  I 
started  towards  them  to  prevent  the  carnage 
that  had  threatened  on  the  boat. 


CHAPTER  III 

THAT  MR.  G.  SLADE  OF  DETROIT 

A  number  of  moments  in  the  rapid  passing 
of  the  next  few  months  I  have  wondered  what 
would  have  resulted  if  I  had  taken  that  vacant 
chair  between  very  agreeable  Mr.  William 
Raines  and  very  proper  Mr.  Peter  Scudder  so 
evidently  reserved  for  the  young,  beautiful  and 
charming  Marquise  of  Grez  and  Bye.  I  have 
decided  that  in  about  the  half  of  one  hour 
young  Mr.  Robert  Carruthers  would  have  been 
extinct  and  the  desired  and  beloved  Marquise 
in  her  place  between  them  sipping  her  tea  while 
making  false  excuses  for  forgiveness.  I  did 
not  take  that  seat  but  I  accepted  one  which  a 
gargon  offered  me  next  to  them  and  did  regard 
them  with  both  fear  and  wistfulness,  also  with 
an  intense  attention  so  that  I  might  acquire  as 
much  as  possible  from  them  of  an  American 
gentleman's  manner. 

51 


52  The  Daredevil 

"  I  suppose  the  dame's  fussing  up  for  us  to 
the  limit,  Peter,"  observed  that  Mr.  Saint  Louis 
while  he  emptied  a  glass  of  amber  liquid  and 
removed  a  cherry  from  its  depths  with  his 
fingers  and  devoured  it  with  the  greatest  relish. 
"  Gee,  but  the  genuine  American  cocktail  is  one 
great  drink!  Have  another,  Peter.  You're  so 
solemn  that  I  am  beginning  to  believe  that  belle 
Marquise  did  put  a  dent  in  your  old  Quaker 
heart  after  all." 

"  There  was  something  in  that  girl's  eyes  as 
they  followed  us,  William,  that  no  cocktail  ever 
shaken  could  get  out  of  my  mind,"  made  answer 
the  very  grave  Mr.  Peter  Scudder  of  Philadel 
phia.  "  Do  you  suppose  her  Uncle  got  there  or 
that  anything  happened?  I  wish  I  had  waited 
with  her." 

"  Well,  either  Uncle  did  arrive  or  we'll  see 
her  in  the  Passing  Follies  week  after  next,  third 
from  the  left,  in  as  little  as  Comstock  allows. 
When  I've  had  a  good  look  at  bare  arms  my 
judgment  connects  mighty  easily  with  bare — " 

By  that  moment  I  had  poised  in  my  hand  a 
very  fragile  cup  of  nicely  steaming  tea  and  it 
was  a  very  natural  thing  that  I  should  hurl  its 


That  Mr.  Slade  of  Detroit          53 

contents  in  the  face  of  that  Mr.  William  Raines 
of  the  country  of  Saint  Louis. 

Voila!  What  happened?  Did  I  stay  to  fight 
the  duel  with  that,  what  I  know  now  to  call  a 
cad,  and  thus  be  put  back  into  the  person  of 
the  Marquise  de  Grez  and  Bye  for  a  wicked 
Uncle  to  murder.  I  did  not.  I  placed  upon 
the  table  two  large  pieces  of  money  and  I  lost 
myself  in  the  crowd  of  persons  who  had  risen 
and  gathered  to  sympathize  with  poor  Mr.  Saint 
Louis.  No  one  had  remarked  my  escape,  I  felt 
sure,  as  I  had  been  very  agile,  but  as  I  saun 
tered  out  into  the  entresol  of  the  Hotel  of  Ritz- 
Carlton,  to  which  I  had  given  so  great  a  shock 
in  its  stately  tea  room,  a  finger  was  laid  upon 
my  arm  in  its  gray  tweed  coat.  I  turned  and 
discovered  a  very  fine  and  handsome  woman 
standing  beside  me  and  in  her  hand  she  had  a 
book  of  white  paper  with  also  a  pencil. 

"  I  was  sitting  just  back  of  Willie  Raines  and 
I  heard  what  he  was  saying  about  some  woman, 
whom  he  and  Peter  Scudder  had  met  on  the 
boat  over,  not  keeping  her  appointment  with 
them.  Peter  is  of  the  Philadelphia  elect  and 
nobody  knows  why  he  consorts  with  the  gay 


54  The  Daredevil 

Willie.  I  saw  them  come  off  the  boat  together 
this  morning  and  I  knew  that  the  whole  Scudder 
Meeting  House  would  be  in  a  glum  over  their 
being  together.  Would  you  mind  telling  me 
just  why  you  soused  your  tea  into  his  face?  It 
would  make  a  corking  story  for  my  morning 
edition.  Did  you  know  them  or  did  you  know 
the  lady  or  did  you  do  it  to  be  launcelotting  ?  " 

"  I  think  it  must  have  been  for  the  third  of 
those  reasons,  Madam,  but  I  am  not  sure  that 
I  know  the  word  you  use,"  I  answered  with 
much  caution. 

"  Launcelot,  you  know,  the  boy  that  was 
always  fussing  around  over  injured  women,  in 
Tennyson  or  somewhere,  just  for  a  love  of  'em 
that  was  always  perfectly  proper.  Nice  of  him 
but  not  progressive.  Say,  do  you  mind  sitting 
down  in  a  quiet  corner  of  the  tea  room  and  tell 
ing  me  all  about  it  ?  Are  you  French  or  Russian 
or  Brazilian,  and  do  you  believe  in  women,  or 
is  it  just  because  you  like  'em  that  you  threw 
the  tea?  I've  got  a  suffrage  article  to  do  and  I 
believe  you'd  make  a  good  headline,  with  your 
militant  tea  throwing.  Want  to  tell  me  all 
about  it?" 


That  Mr.  Slade  of  Detroit         55 

"  I  have  just  one  hour  before  going  to  the 
State  of  Harpeth,  many  miles  from  here, 
Madam,"  I  made  answer  with  a  great  polite 
ness.  "  I  thank  you  but  I  must  make  my 
regrets." 

"  Oh,  I  can  find  out  all  I  want  to  know  about 
you  in  five  minutes.  Just  come  sit  down  with 
me  and  be  a  good  boy.  Do  you  want  to  give 
me  your  name?  I  wish  you  really  were  some 
body  that  had  given  Willie  that  tea  fight."  And 
while  making  protestations  and  remonstrances 
I  was  led  again  into  that  tea  room  and  seated 
at  a  great  distance  from  the  table  which  had 
been  occupied  by  that  Mr.  William  Raines  and 
Mr.  Peter  Scudder,  who  had  now  departed.  "  If 
you  really  were  some  big  gun  it  would  kill 
Willie  dead." 

"  Then,  Madam,  permit  me  to  present  myself 
to  you  as  Robert  Carruthers,  Marquis  de  Grez 
and  Bye,  from  Paris  on  my  way  to  visit  my 
Uncle,  General  Robert  Carruthers,  of  the  State 
of  Harpeth.  I  would  very  willingly  by  infor 
mation  or  a  sword  kill  that  Mr.  William  Raines 
of  Saint  Louis  and  I  regret  that  —  that  -  '  At 
the  beginning  of  my  sentence  I  had  drawn  my- 


56  The  Daredevil 

self  up  into  the  attitude  of  the  old  Marquis  of 
Flanders  in  the  hall  of  the  ruined  Chateau  de 
Grez,  but  when  I  had  got  to  the  point  —  of,  shall 
I  say,  my  own  sword?  —  I  was  forced  to  collapse 
and  I  could  feel  my  knees  under  the  tea  table 
begin  to  shake  together  and  huddle  for  their 
accustomed  and  now  missing  skirts. 

"  That's  fine  and  dandy,"  answered  the  nice 
woman  as  she  began  to  write  rapidly  upon  the 
blank  paper.  "  If  you'd  drawn  fifty  swords  on 
Willie  and  he  had  knocked  you  down  with  the 
butt  end  of  his  teaspoon  I'd  have  put  Willie 
on  the  run  in  my  write-up.  Willie  has  handed 
me  several  little  blows  below  the  belt  that  I 
don't  like.  Pretends  not  to  have  met  me,  when 
Peter  Scudder's  own  sister,  whom  I  knew  at 
the  settlement,  introduced  him  to  me;  and  what 
he  did  to  Mabel  Wright,  our  cub  on  weddings  — 
Oh,  well,  Mabel  is  another  story.  Now  —  that 
copy  is  ready  to  turn  in  when  I  pad  it.  I 
wonder  if  I  will  get  a  favor  from  the  manager 
or  be  turned  out  of  the  tea  room  permanently 
for  reporting  a  fight  as  aristocratic  as  this  in 
the  sacred  halls  of  the  Ritz-Carlton.  I'd  bet 
my  shoe  lacings  that  fifty  people  come  here 


That  Mr.  Slade  of  Detroit 

every  afternoon  for  a  week  hoping  it  will  happen 
again." 

"  I  do  like  this  America,  whose  movement  is 
so  rapid,"  I  made  remark  as  I  set  down  my 
second  cup  of  tea  for  the  afternoon,  this  one 
emptied  into  my  depths  instead  of  the  face  of 
Mr.  Saint  Louis. 

'  That's  good,  too,"  returned  my  new-found 
friend  with  a  laugh  as  she  again  wrote  a  word 
or  two  on  the  nice  white  paper.  Then  she 
placed  her  elbow  upon  the  table,  leaned  her  very 
firm  cheek  on  her  hand,  and  regarded  me  with 
fine  and  honest  and  sympathetic  eyes.  "  I  won 
der  what  America  is  going  to  do  to  a  beautiful 
boy  like  you.  I'm  glad  that  you  are  going  to 
beat  it  to  the  tall  timbers  of  the  Harpeth  Valley. 
There  are  women  in  New  York  who  would  eat 
you  up  alive.  There's  La  Frigeda,  alias  Maggie 
Sullivan  from  Milwaukee,  over  there  devouring 
you  with  her  eyes  at  this  moment,  and  that 
pretty  little  Stuyvesant  Elaine  debutante  hasn't 
taken  her  eyes  off  of  you  long  enough  to  eat 
her  spiced  ice.  I  know  'em  both  and  could  land 
something  from  either  one  if  I  introduced  you 
in  your  title  and  very  beautiful  clothes." 


58  The  Daredevil 

"  Oh,  I  beg  a  pardon  of  you  that  I  have  not 
the  time  to  have  an  introduction  to  your 
friends,"  I  exclaimed  with  a  very  true  regret, 
because  I  did  like  that  very  nice  woman  and 
would  have  liked  much  to  have  brought  advan 
tage  to  her.  "  In  less  than  an  hour  I  must 
'  beat '  to  those  '  tall  timbers  of  Harpeth  '  you 
mention." 

"  Speaking  of  the  State  of  Harpeth,  I  don't 
know  as  you'll  be  so  safe  after  all,  young  friend, 
if  that  is  any  sample  of  the  variety  of  women 
that  flower  in  that  classic  land  of  the  cotton 
and  the  magnolia  which  I  met  at  Mrs.  Creed 
Payne's  war  baby  tea  the  other  afternoon," 
mused  my  fine  friend  as  I  paid  the  gargon  for 
the  very  good  tea.  "  She  is  in  high-up  political 
circles  down  there  in  Old  Harpeth  and  from  the 
bunch  of  women  she  was  with  I  make  a  guess 
she  is  taking  an  interest  in  war  contracts.  She 
was  with  that  Mrs.  Benton,  who  pulled  off  that 
spectacular  deal  for  desiccated  soups  for  Greece 
the  other  day.  My  stomach  is  too  delicate  to 
feed  soldiers  dried  dog  and  rotten  cabbage 
melted  down  into  glue  in  a  can,  but  they  may 
like  the  idea  if  not  the  soup.  Anyway,  the 


That  Mr.  Slade  of  Detroit 

woman  was  a  beauty,  so  don't  you  let  her  get 
you." 

"  I  do  not  entirely  understand  you,  my  dear 
Madam,  and  I  wish  that  I  might  have  many 
days  to  talk  with  you  about  these  American 
customs,"  I  said  as  I  put  into  my  pocket  the 
exchange  money  handed  to  me  by  the  gargon. 

"  Well,  it  is  not  exactly  an  American  custom 
I  have  been  putting  you  next  to,  and  I  guess 
I'm  patriotically  glad  that  you  don't  entirely 
understand.  Now,  I'm  going  to  put  you  on  the 
train  for  Old  Harpeth  and  kiss  you  good-bye 
for  your  mother.  I'm  not  trusting  Frigeda,  and 
she's  lingering.  Come  on  if  your  train  leaves 
at  six  o'clock." 

And  while  she  spoke,  my  interesting  and  fine 
woman  rose  and  allowed  me  to  assist  her  into 
her  gray  coat  of  tweed  that  was  very  like  to 
mine. 

It  was  with  regret  that  I  parted  from  that 
lady  at  the  door  of  the  taxicab  that  had  been 
called  for  her,  and  I  bent  over  and  kissed  her 
hand,  the  first  woman  that  Mr.  Robert  Car- 
ruthers  had  ever  so  saluted. 

"  Good-bye,  boy !    Remember,  the  tall  timbers 


60  The  Daredevil 

of  Harpeth  are  best.  Run  right  down  and  get  a 
Southern  belle  and  beauty  to  settle  down  and 
have  a  dozen  babies  for  you,  just  like  '  befo'  the 
war.'  Good-bye!  I'll  send  you  down  a  paper 
to-morrow.  I  don't  suppose  the  New  York 
journals  ever  penetrate  the  Harpeth  Valley. 
Good-bye  again."  And  then  my  friend  was 
gone,  leaving  me  once  more  alone  in  New  York 
and  very  shy  of  those  tweed  trousers,  which 
I  immediately  put  with  me  into  another  taxicab 
which  was  directed  to  the  Pennsylvania  Station. 

At  that  Pennsylvania  Station  I  remembered 
to  send  to  my  wicked  Uncle  an  announcement  by 
telegram  of  my  arrival  to  him  and  then  I  got 
upon  the  train  just  in  time  for  its  departure. 

I  have  remarked  that  life  is  like  high  waves 
of  fate  that  break  in  sparkling  white  crests  over 
buried  mines,  and  I  am  now  led  to  believe  that 
many  of  those  mines  are  but  the  habitation  of 
mermaids  of  much  mischief.  Are  all  ripples  on 
life  due  to  women  at  the  bottom  of  the  matter? 
I  do  not  know,  but  it  would  seem  true  from  the 
things  that  immediately  began  to  befall  me.  And 
was  it  not  I,  a  woman  who  was  called  daredevil, 
who  began  it  all? 


That  Mr.  Slade  of  Detroit         61 

These  Pullman  cars  of  America  in  which  to 
travel  great  distances,  are  very  remarkable  for 
their  many  strange  adventures,  and  I  was  very 
much  interested  but  also  perturbed  when  the 
black  garqon  placed  my  bag  and  overcoat  upon 
the  floor  at  the  feet  of  a  very  prim  lady  and 
left  me  to  stand  uncomfortably  in  the  aisle 
before  her. 

'  Your  seat,  sir,  upper  five,"  he  said,  and 
departed  with  my  fifty  centimes,  which  is  called 
a  dime  in  America. 

In  the  little  division  which  I  could  see  was 
marked  five  were  two  nice  seats  that  were  to 
each  other  face  to  face,  but  it  appeared  that 
neither  of  them  was  vacant  for  Mr.  Robert  Car- 
ruthers.  On  one  the  lady  sat  with  very  stiff 
black  silk  skirts  projecting  from  her  sides,  as 
did  her  thin  elbows  also  in  the  stiffness  of  white 
linen.  Beside  her,  occupying  the  rest  of  her 
seat,  was  a  hat  with  large  black  bows  of  equal 
stiffness  with  the  rest  of  the  lady's  apparel  and 
disposition  not  to  be  friendly.  On  the  seat  oppo 
site,  which  from  the  nature  of  my  ticket  and 
the  case  I  should  have  supposed  belonged  to  me, 
were  piled  two  large  bundles,  a  shiny  black 


62  The  Daredevil 

bag,  a  black  silk  coat,  also  stiff  like  the  lady,  an 
umbrella,  two  magazines  and  a  basket  of  fruit. 
No  place  was  apparent  for  me  or  my  bags  or 
my  overcoat.  It  seemed  as  if  it  would  be  best 
for  me  to  stand  in  the  middle  of  the  car  all  the 
way  to  the  State  of  Harpeth  so  that  the  lady's 
stiffness  be  not  disarranged.  I  did  not  know 
what  I  should  do,  and  my  knees  began  again  to 
feel  weak  in  that  gray  tweed  and  to  be  cold  for 
their  accustomed  skirts,  but  the  lady  looked  out 
of  the  window  and  said  not  a  single  word.  I  did 
not  have  any  convenient  cup  of  tea  in  my  hand 
to  throw  in  that  lady's  face  in  a  manner  that 
would  not  be  permitted  a  gentleman,  but  if  I 
had  had  the  very  lovely  lorgnette  that  has 
descended  to  me  from  my  Great  Grandmamma, 
the  wife  of  the  old  Flanders  grandsire,  I  would 
have  settled  the  matter  with  very  little  trouble 
in  an  entirely  ladylike  manner.  As  it  was,  I 
did  not  know  what  to  do  but  stand  and  then 
stand  longer.  Just  at  the  moment  when  I  began 
to  feel  that  I  would  either  be  forced  to  forget 
that  I  was  a  gentleman  or  to  faint  as  a  lady,  a 
very  nice  man  touched  me  on  the  elbow  and 
said: 


That  Mr.  Slade  of  Detroit          63 

"  Just  drop  your  bag  on  her  feet  and  come 
into  the  smoker.  She's  got  your  game  beat," 
and  he  passed  on  down  the  aisle  of  that  car.  I 
acted  upon  that  very  kind  advice  and  I  am  glad 
that  from  the  weight  of  the  bag  I  got  at  least 
a  small  action  from  the  stiff  lady  if  only  a  groan 
and  a  glare.  Also  I  should  have  been  grateful 
that  she  had  so  discourteously  treated  me  so 
that  I  was  fortunate  to  receive  the  attention 
of  Mr.  George  Slade  of  Detroit  as  my  first 
experience  in  American  manhood. 

That  Mr.  Slade  of  Detroit  is  a  man  of 
remarkable  adventures,  and  he  related  to  me 
many  of  them  as  he  sat  with  me  in  the  place 
reserved  for  the  smoking  of  gentlemen.  They 
were  all  about  ladies  who  resided  in  the  dif 
ferent  towns  to  which  he  traveled  in  the  pursuit 
of  selling  cigars,  and  he  called  them  all  by  the 
name  of  "  skirts." 

"  I  tell  you,  Mr.  Dago,  there  is  a  skirt  in 
Louisville,  Kentucky,  that  is  such  a  peach  that 
you'd  call  for  the  cream  jug  on  sight.  It  would 
pay  you  to  stop  off  and  see  her.  She's  on  the 
level  all  right,  but  any  friend  that  took  a  line 
from  me  would  be  nuts  to  her.  See?"  And 


64  The  Daredevil 

he  bestowed  upon  me  a  pleasant  wink  from  his 
eye.  To  that  I  made  no  response.  I  could 
make  none. 

"  Now,  Mr.  Robert  Carruthers,"  I  had  said 
to  myself  at  the  beginning  of  the  first  story  of 
"  skirts,"  "  you  will  find  yourself  obliged  to  be 
in  the  presence  of  men  as  one  of  their  kind  and 
not  throw  scalding  tea  in  their  faces  wrhen  they 
speak  of  ladies.  You  are  of  a  great  ignorance 
about  the  brute  that  is  known  as  man  and  you 
must  learn  to  know  him  as  you  do  the  wild  hog 
in  hunting."  But  even  for  the  sake  of  a  larger 
education  I  could  not  remain,  and  I  fled  from 
that  Mr.  Slade  of  Detroit  in  one  half  hour  back 
to  the  arms  of  the  stiff  lady.  But  when  I 
arrived  there  I  found  she  had  had  me  removed 
from  her  as  far  as  possible  to  the  other  end 
of  the  car,  where  I  found  my  bags  deposited 
beside  one  marked  "  G.  Slade,  Detroit." 

"  Took  the  liberty  of  transferring  you  here 
above  the  other  gentleman,  sir.  The  lady  is 
nervous,"  said  the  conductor  of  the  car  as  he 
handed  me  another  ticket. 

"  Right,  old  top,"  said  that  Mr.  G.  Slade  as 
he  stood  beside  us,  having  followed.  "  If  you 


That  Mr.  Slade  of  Detroit         65 

don't  enjoy  sleeping  rock-a-bye-baby  we  can  put 
our  togs  up  and  you  can  bunk  in  with  me.  I'm 
not  nervous."  And  with  a  glance  at  the  very 
stiff  black  silk  back  in  the  front  of  the  car  he 
made  a  laugh  that  I  could  not  prevent  myself 
from  sharing.  It  is  then  that  the  delicacy  of  a 
woman  is  so  easily  corrupted? 

"  I  beg  your  pardon,  conductor,  but  upper 
nine  is  engaged  for  my  son  who  is  to  get  on  at 
Philadelphia.  I  must  have  him  just  opposite  my 
daughter  and  me.  We  are  nervous."  And  as 
the  large  and  pathetic  lady  across  the  aisle  from 
number  nine  spoke  in  a  most  timid  voice,  that 
Mr.  G.  Slade  gave  one  glance  at  the  daughter  of 
whom  she  spoke,  who  also  must  have  weighed 
a  great  many  litre,  or  what  you  call  in  America, 
pounds,  and  fled  back  to  the  smoking  apartment. 

It  was  a  very  funny  sight  to  behold  that  small 
conductor  stand  with  my  large  bags  and  over 
coat  and  look  around  at  that  car  full  of  ladies 
for  a  place  in  which  to  deposit  me  and  them, 
which  was  not  previously  occupied  by  some 
female  of  great  nervousness. 

"  Madam,  I  will  have  to  use  the  upper  of  this 
section,"  he  finally  turned  and  said  to  the  occu- 


66  The  Daredevil 

pant  of  the  number  of  seven  with  a  very  fine 
determination. 

"  Certainly,  conductor ;  let  me  remove  my  hat 
and  coat,"  came  back  the  answer  in  a  voice  of 
very  great  sweetness  as  the  conductor  deposited 
me  and  my  bags  down  in  front  of  the  most 
beautiful  lady  in  all  America,  I  am  sure. 

"  Thank  you  for  much  graciousness,  Madam," 
I  said,  keeping  those  gray  tweed  knees  straight 
out  in  front  of  me  and  very  still  to  prevent 
trembling. 

"  Not  at  all,  sir ;  I  only  bought  the  lower  half 
of  this  section.  I  am  not  at  all  nervous,"  and 
I  could  see  her  mouth  that  was  curled  like  the 
petals  of  an  opening  rose  tremble  from  a  mis 
chief  as  she  regarded  the  stiff  black  silk  back 
in  the  front  of  the  car  and  the  two  huge  females 
on  our  right  whose  son  and  brother  was  to 
arrive  in  Philadelphia  for  their  protection. 

An  equally  gay  mischief  rose  in  my  eyes  and 
responded  to  that  in  hers  as  I  responded  also 
by  word: 

"  For  which  also  let  us  be  in  gratitude." 

Many  times  in  the  months  that  followed  have 
I  thought  of  the  lure  of  the  laughing  mischief 


That  Mr.  Slack  of  Detroit         67 

in  those  eyes  that  were  like  beautiful  blue 
flowers  set  in  crystal,  and  how  they  were  to  lead 
me  on  into  the  strange  land  of  men  in  search  of 
those  forbidden  fruits.  They  were  the  first  to 
offer  me  affection,  excepting  perhaps  my  fine 
reporter  woman  with  the  paper  and  pencil. 

And  from  that  moment  on  I  did  very  much 
enjoy  myself  in  conversation  with  that  Madam 
Mischief,  while  we  together  did  watch  the  retire 
ment  of  all  of  the  persons  in  the  train.  She 
had  many  funny  remarks  to  make  and  made  me 
merry  with  them  so  that  the  hour  of  eleven 
o'clock  had  arrived  before  we  had  summoned 
the  very  black  male  chamber-maid  to  turn  our 
seats  into  beds.  All  others  were  in  sleep  that 
was  a  confusion  of  sound  from  everywhere  and 
we  must  stand  in  the  aisle  while  the  beds  were 
being  abstracted. 

"  Shall  I  take  your  bag  into  the  dressing 
room,  sah?"  said  the  black  male  chamber-maid 
as  if  to  intimate  that  I  should  leave  the  aisle 
free  for  his  operations. 

"  Many  thanks,  yes,"  I  answered  him.  "  Good 
night,  Madam,  and  to  you  again  much  gratitude 
for  the  happiness  of  an  evening,"  and  with  all 


68  The  Daredevil 

sincerity  I  directed  Mr.  Robert  Carruthers  to 
bend  over  her  very  white  hand  and  kiss  it  with 
much  fervor  that  was  resulted  from  the  loneli 
ness  of  the  poor  Marquise  of  Grez  and  Bye, 
who  was  but  a  girl  in  a  strange  and  large  land, 
although  habited  in  trousers  and  coat. 

'  You  are  a  dear  boy,"  she  made  answer  to 
me  with  an  equal  affection  as  she  disappeared 
into  the  curtains  of  her  small  room.  Then  I 
departed  to  that  room  reserved  for  the  disrob 
ing  of  gentlemen.  It  was  without  occupation 
and  I  opened  my  large  bag  and  procured  the 
very  beautiful  silk  night  robing  that  the  kind 
man  had  sold  to  me  that  afternoon.  It  was  in 
two  pieces  that  very  much  resembled  the  cos 
tume  in  which  gentlemen  play  tennis,  only  more 
ornamented  by  silk  embroidery  and  braid  and 
buttons.  I  was  regarding  them  with  joy  when 
into  the  small  room  came  that  Mr.  G.  Slade  of 
Detroit.  He  was  appareled  in  garments  of  the 
same  cut  only  of  a  very  wide  red  stripe,  his 
hair  was  very  much  in  confusion  and  he  had  a 
bottle  in  his  hand  in  which  was  a  liquid  the 
color  of  cognac. 

"  I've  only  been  awake  for  two  hours  listen- 


That  Mr.  Slade  of  Detroit         69 

ing  to  that  peach  of  a  skirt  trying  to  make  you 
fuss  her  a  bit,  and  I  thought  I  would  bring  you 
a  nip  to  pick  you  up  after  your  fight.  Gee,  it  is 
as  I  suspected.  You  are  off  on  a  wedding  tango 
and  that  makes  you  cold  to  all  wiles!  My  son, 
for  a  wedding  garment  that  thing  you  have  in 
your  hand  is  a  winner.  I  can't  sleep  in  silk 
myself  because  it  makes  me  feel  like  a  wet  dog, 
but  you'll  be  so  beautiful  in  them  that  the  bride 
will  be  jealous  of  you  and  say  that  even  if  you 
are  so  pretty  now  you  will  fade  early  or  that 
you  buy  your  complexion  at  the  corner  empo 
rium.  Go  on,  put  'em  on,  or  was  you  just  look 
ing  at  'em  for  pleasure  and  going  to  save  'em 
by  sleeping  'as  is '  ?  Me,  I  always  undress  to 
the  skin,  but  some  don't." 

"I  —  I  was  just  looking  at  them  with  pleas 
ure,"  I  made  haste  to  answer  that  Mr.  G.  Slade 
of  Detroit.  "  When  upon  travels  I  always  fear 
to  disrobe  myself.  I  think  that  I  will  now 
retire,"  and  with  a  haste  that  made  my  hands 
tremble  I  replaced  the  sleeping  garments  in  the 
large  bag  and  prepared  to  flee  down  the  aisle 
to  the  sleeping  apartment  in  which  was  the  pro 
tection  of  another  woman's  presence. 


70  The  Daredevil 

"Not  even  a  nip  before  you  go?"  he  asked 
me  as  he  held  the  large  bottle  to  his  lips  and 
threw  back  his  head  for  a  gurgling  down  his 
throat. 

"  No,  with  much  gratitude,  and  good  night," 
I  answered  as  I  rapidly  departed  with  my  cheeks 
in  a  flame  of  scarlet  and  a  fear  in  my  heart.  In 
my  flight  I  passed  by  that  number  of  seven  and 
came  very  near  opening  the  curtains  of  the 
number  of  five  and  precipitating  myself  upon 
the  bayonets  of  black  tafleta  that  stood  firm 
from  a  hat  so  placed  as  to  bar  my  intrusion. 
From  that  accident  I  turned  and  sought  the 
kind  black  male  chamber-maid  with  a  request 
that  he  show  me  how  to  insert  myself  into  the 
right  place  for  sleeping. 

"  Right  here,  Boss.  Climb  up  on  these  little 
steps  and  then  hand  me  down  your  shoes.  Soft 
now;  I  think  the  lady  am  asleep." 

"  Good  night,  and  I'm  not  nervous,"  I  heard 
a  laugh  of  mischief  come  from  behind  a  second 
and  short  green  curtain,  that  veils  the  lower  of 
the  sleeping  shelves,  just  as  I  fell  onto  my  shelf 
above  and  lay  with  a  panting  of  relief. 


CHAPTER  IV 

THE  IMPOSSIBLE  UNCLE  ROBERT 

"  Robert/'  I  made  remark  to  myself  after  I 
had  with  difficulty  removed  the  tweed  coat  and 
the  tweed  trousers  and  neatly  folded  them 
against  ugly  wrinkles  of  to-morrow,  "  you  must 
become  a  sport  and  not  climb  down  there  and 
tell  that  other  woman  the  truth  of  your  lady's 
estate  and  ask  her  to  comfort  you  with  affec 
tion.  You  were  born  a  daredevil  and  you  must 
remember  those  two  Indians  and  a  bear  that 
the  Grandmamma  Madam  Donaldson  murdered 
for  safety  for  herself  and  her  children.  That 
Mr.  G.  Slade  is  just  one  bear  and  he's  not  as 
dangerous  to  you  as  if  you  wore  '  skirts '  any 
way.  And,  also,  if  you  are  brave  and  propitiate 
the  wicked  Uncle,  in  just  a  few  months  you  can 
travel  to  where  the  lovely  lady  with  the  blue 
flower  eyes  resides,  of  whom  in  the  morning 
you  must  get  the  address  of  home,  and  can  then 

71 


The  Daredevil 

make  confession  to  her  and  know  the  joy  of 
having  her  sisterly  embraces  that  seem  of  so 
much  sweetness  to  you  now. 

"  But  suppose  it  is  that  she  arises  in  the  night 
and  leaves  the  train  for  her  home!  "  I  said  to 
myself  as  I  suddenly  sat  up  in  the  dark  and  pre 
cipitated  my  head  against  the  roof  of  the 
sleeping  shelf. 

"  I  will  call  down  to  her  and  ask  the  one 
simple  question,"  I  made  answer  to  myself. 
Then  I  reached  down  my  head  over  the  edge  of 
my  shelf  and  called  very  softly: 

"Madam?" 

"Yes?"  came  a  soft  question  in  answer  and 
I  felt  that  she  arose  and  brought  her  beautiful 
head  which  had  the  odor  of  violets  in  the  waves 
so  heavy  and  black,  up  very  near  to  mine.  I 
could  feel  a  comfort  from  her  breath  on  my 
cheek. 

"  I  am  in  fear,  Madam,  that  you  should  leave 
the  train  before  I  am  awake,"  I  said  in  a  voice 
under  my  breath.  "  I  do  not  want  that  I  lose 
you  into  this  great  America." 

"  Oh,  I'm  not  easily  lost." 

"  I  am  desolated  with  loneliness  and  I  must 


The  Impossible  Uncle  Robert       73 

know  where  it  is  that  you  leave  the  train,  imme 
diately,  so  that  I  may  sleep." 

"  At  Hayesville,  Harpeth,  you  ridiculous  boy. 
Now  don't  disturb  me  again.  Go  to  sleep." 

As  I  sank  back  on  my  pillow,  happy  with  a 
great  relief,  I  thought  I  heard  two  laughs  in 
the  darkness,  one  in  a  tone  of  silver  from 
beneath  me  and  one  of  the  sound  of  a  choke 
from  opposite  me  where  was  reposed  that  Mr. 
G.  Slade  of  Detroit. 

"  It  is  a  good  chance  for  you,  Robert,  that  you 
go  to  sleep  your  first  night  in  America  with 
the  sound  of  a  nice  laugh  from  two  persons  of 
kindness  towards  you,  one  of  whom  is  to  be 
with  you  for  a  friend  in  the  same  —  what  was 
it  the  gray  lady  with  the  pencil  and  paper 
called  it  ?  - '  tall  timbers  of  Old  Harpeth ' 
where  all  is  of  such  strangeness  to  you."  And 
with  this  remark  to  myself  I  fell  asleep,  "  as  is," 
I  think  it  was  that  Mr.  G.  Slade  of  Detroit 
called  my  state  of  not  being  disrobed  further 
than  trousers  and  coat. 

After  many  months  in  which  came  to  me 
cruel  pain  and  a  long  hard  fight  for  the  honor 
of  my  beloved,  I  cannot  but  remember  that  feel- 


74  The  Daredevil 

ing  of  gratitude  that  came  over  me  as  I  went 
into  sleep  on  that  narrow  shelf  under  which 
lay  the  beauty  of  that  Madam  Patricia 
Whitworth. 

In  the  eight  years  that  I  had  become  all  of 
life  to  my  father  we  had  made  many  travels 
into  distant  lands  and  had  seen  all  of  beauty 
that  the  Old  World  had  to  offer  seekers  after 
it,  but  nowhere  had  I  seen  the  majestic  wonder 
of  this,  his  own  land,  that  I  beheld  pass  by  like 
a  series  of  great  pictures  wrought  by  a  master. 
All  of  the  morning  I  could  but  sit  and  gaze 
with  eyes  that  sometimes  dimmed  with  tears  for 
him  as  faster  and  faster  I  was  carried  down  into 
his  own  land  of  the  Valley  of  Harpeth,  which 
he  had  given  up  for  love  of  my  Mother  and 
from  the  cruelness  of  my  wicked  Uncle  who 
would  not  welcome  her  to  his  home.  When  the 
great  Harpeth  hills,  in  their  spring  flush  from 
the  rosiness  of  what  I  afterwards  learned  was 
their  honeysuckle  and  laurel,  shot  with  the 
iridescent  fire  of  the  pale  yellow  and  green  and 
purple  of  redbud  and  dogwood  and  maple  leaf, 
all  veiled  in  a  creamy  mist  over  their  radiance, 
came  into  view,  as  we  arrived  nearer  and  nearer 


The  Impossible  Uncle  Robert      75 

to  Hayesville  my  hand  went  forth  and  grasped 
closely  the  hand  of  Madam  Whitworth.  That 
Mr.  G.  Slade  had  left  the  train  before  my 
awakening  and  I  felt  relief  from  the  absence  of 
his  eyes  and  could  express  to  the  beautiful  lady 
the  joy  that  was  in  my  heart. 

"  And  the  small  homes  in  the  valley,  Madam, 
with  the  sheep  and  cattle  and  grain  and  chil 
dren  surrounded,  they  need  never  fear  the  fire 
of  shell  and  the  roar  of  the  cruel  guns.  This 
valley  is  a  fold  in  the  garment  across  the  breast 
of  the  good  God  Himself  and  it  has  His  cherish 
ing.  Is  it  that  there  will  be  a  home  for  me  in 
its  peace  and  for  the  small  Pierre  and  the  old 
and  faithful  Nannette?" 

"  A  home  and  —  and  other  things,  boy  — 
when  you  ask  for  them,"  she  answered  me 
with  a  very  beautiful  look  of  affection  that 
while  it  pleased  me  greatly  also  made  for  me 
an  unreasonable  embarrassment. 

"  Is  it  that  you  think  I  will  obtain  the  affec 
tion  of  my  Uncle,  the  General  Robert  Car- 
ruthers,  Madam  Whitworth?"  I  asked  of  her 
with  a  great  wistfulness,  for  I  had  told  her  of 
his  summons  to  me  and  she  knew  already  the 


76  The  Daredevil 

story  of  his  hardness  of  heart  against  my 
mother. 

'  The  General  is  a  very  difficult  person,"  she 
made  answer  to  me,  and  I  saw  that  softness  of 
her  beautiful  mouth  become  as  steel  as  she 
spoke  of  him.  '  To  a  woman  he  is  impossible, 
as  I  have  found  to  my  cost,  but  all  men  adore 
him  and  follow  him  madly,  so  I  suppose  his 
attitude  towards  them  is  different  from  his  atti 
tude  towards  women.  My  husband  and  I  dis 
agree  utterly  about  the  General.  In  fact,  the 
old  gentleman  and  I  are  at  daggers'  points  just 
now  and  I  am  afraid  —  afraid  that  he  will 
make  it  difficult  for  you  to  be  —  be  friends 
with  me  as  I  —  I  want  you  to  be/' 

"  Neither  the  General  Carruthers  nor  any 
man,  Madam,  dictates  in  matters  of  the  heart 
to  the  Marquise  de  —  that  is,  to  Robert  Car 
ruthers  of  Grez  and  Bye,  if  that  is  the  way  I 
must  so  name  myself  now,"  I  answered  in  the 
manner  of  the  old  Marquis  of  Flanders,  tinged 
with  the  grande  dame  manner  of  the  beautiful 
young  Marquise  of  Grez  and  Bye  whom  I  had 
murdered  and  left  in  that  room  of  the  great 
hotel  of  Ritz-Carlton  in  New  York. 


The  Impossible  Uncle  Robert 

"  It  will  be  delicious  to  watch  his  face  as 
you  and  I  alight  from  this  train  together,  boy. 
It  will  be  worth  the  trouble  of  this  hurried  trip 
to  New  York  to  be  introduced  to  a  person  who 
disappeared  suddenly  in  a  tug  boat  in  the  open 
ocean  when  he  should  have  landed  at  the  docks 
with  the  propriety  that  would  have  been 
expected  of  him."  And  as  she  spoke  I  could 
see  that  something  had  happened  in  New  York 
which  had  brought  much  irritation  to  the  beau 
tiful  Madam  Whitworth. 

"  It  would  seem  that  it  is  one  of  the  customs 
of  these  great  ships  to  send  out  passengers 
from  them  in  those  very  funny  small  tug  boats," 
I  remarked  as  I  leaned  forward  to  catch  a  last 
fleeting  glimpse  of  a  lovely  girl  standing  in 
the  doorway  of  an  ancient  farmhouse,  giving 
food  to  chickens  so  near  the  course  of  the  rail 
road  train  that  it  would  seem  we  should  dis 
perse  them  with  fright.  "  I  wept  when  I  must 
see  my  good  friend,  Capitaine,  the  Count  de 
Lasselles,  depart  from  our  ship  in  one  of  those 
tug  boats.  It  was  a  pain  in  my  breast  that 
he  must  leave  me  to  go  into  the  wildness  of 
Canada." 


78  The  Daredevil 

"Oh,  then  he  went  to  Canada  first?" 
exclaimed  that  Madam  Whitworth  as  she 
leaned  back  on  her  seat  as  if  relieved  from 
some  form  of  a  great  anxiety  about  the  depar 
ture  of  that  Capitaine,  the  Count  de  Lasselles. 

"  Is  it  that  you  are  also  a  friend  of  my  Capi 
taine?"  I  demanded  with  a  great  eagerness  of 
pleasure  if  it  should  be  so. 

"Oh,  no,  no,  indeed!"  exclaimed  the  beau 
tiful  Madam  Whitworth.  "  I  was  speaking  of 
my  own  friend  who  might  have  taken  a  Cana 
dian  line  instead  of  the  American.  She  is  so 
careless  about  instructions.  Now  look;  we  are 
beginning  to  wind  dowrn  into  the  very  heart  of 
the  Harpeth  Valley,  and  by  the  time  you  make 
very  tidy  that  mop  of  hair  you  have  on  your 
head  and  I  powder  my  nose,  we  \vill  be  in 
Hayesville  to  face  the  General  in  all  of  his 
glory.  Mind  you  kiss  my  hand  so  he  can  see 
you!  I  want  to  give  him  that  sensation  in 
payment  of  a  debt  I  owe  him.  Now  do  go  and 
smooth  the  mop  if  it  takes  a  pint  of  water  to 
do  it.  That  New  York  tailor  has  turned  you 
out  wonderfully,  but  even  those  very  square 
English  tweeds  do  not  entirely  disguise  the 


The  Impossible  Uncle  Robert      79 

French  cavalier.  You're  a  beautiful  boy  and 
the  girls  in  Hayesville  will  eat  you  up  —  if  the 
General  ever  lets  them  get  a  sight  of  you  — 
which  he  probably  won't.  Now  go  to  the 
mop!" 

For  many  years,  since  the  lonely  day  just 
after  the  death  of  my  mother,  when  my  father 
took  me  into  the  furthest  depths  of  his  sad 
heart  and  told  me  of  his  exile  from  the  place 
in  which  he  had  been  born,  and  about  the  elder 
brother  who  had  hated  my  beautiful  mother, 
who  hated  all  women,  I  had  spent  much  time 
erecting  in  my  mind  a  statue  that  would  be 
the  semblance  of  that  wicked  and  cruel  Uncle. 
I  had  taken  every  disagreeable  feature  of  face 
and  body  that  I  had  beheld  in  another  human, 
or  in  a  picture,  or  had  read  of  in  the  tales  of 
that  remarkable  Mr.  Dickens,  who  could  so 
paint  in  words  a  monstrous  person  to  come 
when  the  lights  are  out  to  haunt  the  darkness, 
and  had  carefully  patched  them  one  upon 
another  so  as  to  make  them  into  an  ideal  of  an 
old  Uncle  of  great  wickedness.  On  that  very 
ship  itself  I  had  beheld  a  man,  who  came  upon 
the  lower  deck  from  the  engine,  who  had  but 


80  The  Daredevil 

one  eye  and  a  great  scar  where  that  other  eye 
should  have  been  placed.  Immediately  my 
image  of  the  General  Robert  Carruthers  lost 
one  of  the  wicked  eyes  I  had  given  him  from 
out  the  head  of  the  stepfather  who  did  so 
cruelly  stare  at  the  poor  young  David  Copper- 
field,  and  became  a  man  with  only  one  eye  which 
still  held  the  malevolence  that  was  hurled  at 
that  small  David.  And  with  this  squat,  crooked, 
evil  image  of  the  General  Robert  Carruthers 
in  my  heart  I  alighted  from  the  train  into  the 
City  of  Hayesville,  which  is  the  capital  of  the 
great  American  State  of  Harpeth.  The  black 
man  had  swung  himself  off  with  my  bags  and 
that  of  the  beautiful  Madam  Whitworth,  who 
with  me  was  the  last  of  the  passengers  to 
descend  from  the  steps  of  the  car. 

'  My  dear  Jeff !  "  exclaimed  my  so  lovely  new 
friend  as  she  raised  her  veil  for  a  very  seemly 
kiss  from  a  tall  and  quite  broad  gentleman  with 
a  very  wide  hat  and  long  mustachios  that 
dropped  far  down  with  want  of  wax  that  it  is 
the  custom  to  use  for  their  elevation  in  France, 
as  I  well  know  from  my  father's  wrathy 
remarks  to  his  valet  if  he  made  a  too  great 


The  Impossible  Uncle  Robert      81 

use  of  it  upon  his.  "  And  this  is  General  Car- 
ruthers'  nephew  who  came  down  on  the  train 
with  me.  My  husband,  Mr.  Carruthers  of  Grez 
and  Bye ! "  with  which  introduction  she  con 
fronted  me  with  the  gentleman. 

"  Glad  to  know  you,  young  man;  glad  to  know 
you,"  he  answered  as  he  took  my  hand  and 
gave  it  an  embrace  of  such  vigor  that  I  almost 
made  outcry.  "  There's  the  General  over  there 
looking  for  you.  Come  to  see  us  sometime. 
Come  on,  Patsy !  " 

"  Good-bye,  Mr.  Carruthers.  I'll  see  you 
soon,"  said  the  beautiful  Madam  Whitworth 
as  she  held  out  her  hand  to  me.  "  Do  it  now ; 
there  comes  the  General!  Quick,  kiss  my 
hand!" 

I  bent  and  did  as  she  bade  me  and  as  I  had 
promised  her  to  do,  and  as  I  raised  myself  she 
slipped  away  quickly  after  her  husband  with  a 
salutation  of  great  coolness  to  a  person  over  my 
shoulder  and  a  "How  do  you  do,  General  Car 
ruthers"  remark  as  she  went. 

Instantly  I  turned  and  faced  the  materializa 
tion  of  the  ogre  it  had  taken  me  years  to  build 
up  into  my  wicked  Uncle.  And  what  did  I  see? 


82  The  Daredevil 

My  eyes  looked  straight  into  eyes  of  the 
greatest  kindness  and  wisdom  I  had  ever  before 
beheld,  and  it  was  with  difficulty  I  restrained 
myself  from  flinging  myself  and  my  suit  of 
English  tweed  straight  into  the  strong  arms  and 
burying  my  head  on  the  broad  deep  chest  that 
confronted  me  as  the  huge  old  gentleman, 
with  as  perfect  a  mop  of  white  hair  as  is  mine 
of  black,  rioting  over  his  large  head,  towered 
over  me. 

"  You  gallivanting  young  idiot,  where  did  you 
pick  up  that  dimity?"  he  demanded  of  me  as 
he  laid  a  large  hand  with  long  strong  fingers 
on  my  shoulders  and  gave  me  a  slight  shake. 
"  Don't  tell  me  it  was  over  Pat  Whitworth  you 
had  that  ruckus  at  the  Ritz-Carlton  day  before 
yesterday !  " 

"  No,  Monsieur,  it  was  not,"  I  answered, 
looking  him  straight  in  the  eyes  and  feeling  as 
if  I  was  looking  into  kind  eyes  that  I  had  seen 
close  to  me  forever  in  the  old  convent  in  France, 
and  as  I  spoke  I  could  not  help  it  that  I  raised 
my  arm  in  its  covering  of  a  man's  tweed  and  let 
my  woman's  fingers  grasp  one  of  the  long  fin 
gers  on  my  shoulder  and  cling  to  it  as  I  had 


The  Impossible  Uncle  Robert       83 

done  other  long  fingers  just  like  them  that  had 
guided  my  first  footsteps  down  the  sunny  garden 
paths  of  the  old  Chateau  de  Grez. 

"  I'm  your  Uncle  Robert,  sonny,  and  don't 
you  ever  forget  that,  sir,"  he  answered  as  he 
gave  me  another  shake  and  I  could  see  a  long 
ing  for  the  embrace,  which  I  so  desired,  in  his 
keen  eyes  that  had  softened  with  a  veil  of  mist 
in  the  last  second.  "  Lord,  I'm  glad  you're  not 
a  woman !  And  from  now  on  just  stop  knowing 
the  creatures  exist  —  Pat  Whitworth  and  her 
kind.  None  of  that  tea-throwing  in  Hayesville, 
sir !  We've  got  work  to  do  to  put  out  a  fire  — 
a  fire  of  dishonor  and  devastation.  No  time  for 
tea-fighting  here.  Come  on  to  my  car  over 
there;  we've  no  time  to  waste." 

"  What  is  it  that  you  say  about  that  throw 
ing  of  tea  which  occurred  only  the  day  before 
yesterday  in  the  City  of  New  York  many  hun 
dreds  of  miles  from  here?  How  did  that 
knowledge  arrive  here,  my  Uncle  Robert?"  I 
questioned. 

"  Associated  Press,  sir.  The  greatest  power 
in  this  America.  Associated  Press!  Full 
account,  you  and  me,  titles  and  all,  printed  in 


84  The  Daredevil 

this  afternoon's  paper.  Any  money  left  of 
that  thousand?" 

"No,  my  Uncle  Robert,"  I  faltered.  "It 
was  necessary  that  I  spend 

"  Don't  tell  me  about  it.  I  sent  it  to  you  so 
you  could  get  as  much  as  possible  out  of  your 
system.  The  hussies!  I've  got  work  for  you 
to  do  here.  Forget  'em !  Hop  in ! "  And  he 
motioned  me  into  a  very  large  blue  touring  car 
that  stood  beside  the  station  platform. 

"  Drive  to  the  Governor's  Mansion  and  don't 
sprout  grass  under  your  wheels,"  he  com 
manded  the  black  chauffeur.  "  The  Governor's 
Mansion,  private  door  on  Sixth  Street." 


CHAPTER  V 

"  HERE'S  MY  BOY,  GOVERNOR  " 

And  it  was  en  route  to  the  mansion  of  the 
Gouverneur  of  the  State  of  Harpeth  that  my 
Uncle,  the  General  Robert,  did  enlighten  me 
as  to  the  urgent  need  of  me  in  his  affairs  of 
business. 

"  It  is  a  question  of  mules,  sir,  and  of  a  dis 
honor  to  the  State  that  I'm  going  to  prevent  if 
my  hot  old  head  is  laid  low  in  doing  it,  as  it 
probably  will  be  if  I  get  into  the  ruckus  with 
Jefferson  Whitworth  that  now  threatens.  They 
have  insinuated  themselves  into  the  confidence 
of  Governor  Faulkner  until  they  have  made  it 
well-nigh  impossible  for  him  to  see  the  matter 
except  as  they  put  it.  They  will  get  his  signa 
ture  to  the  rental  grant  of  the  lands,  make  a 
get-away  with  the  money  and  let  the  State  crash 
down  upon  his  head  when  it  finds  out  that  he 
has  been  led  into  bringing  it  and  himself  into 

85 


86  The  Daredevil 

dishonor.  Why,  damn  it,  sir,  I'd  like  to  have 
every  one  of  them,  especially  Jeff  Whitworth, 
at  the  end  of  a  halter  and  feed  him  a  raw 
mule,  hoof  and  ears.  I'm  probably  going  to  be 
done  to  death  all  alone  before  the  pack  of 
wolves,  but  I'm  going  to  die  hard  —  for  Bill 
Faulkner,  who  holds  in  his  hand  the  honor  of 
his  State  and  my  State,  I'll  die  hard !  "  And  he 
spoke  the  words  with  such  a  fierceness  that  his 
white  mustache,  which  was  waxed  with  the  pro 
priety  of  the  world,  divided  like  crossed  silver 
SAvords  beneath  his  straight  nose  with  its  thin 
and  trembling  nostrils. 

"  It  will  be  that  I  can  help  you  protect  this 
honor  of  the  Gouverneur  Faulkner  and  the  State 
of  Harpeth,  will  it  not,  my  Uncle  Robert?"  I 
asked  with  a  great  anxiety.  "  If  you  must  fall 
on  the  field  of  honor  it  will  be  the  glory  of 
Robert  Carruthers  of  Grez  and  Bye  to  fall 
beside  you,  sir.  I  am  a  very  good  sport,  my 
father  has  said." 

"  God  bless  my  soul,  how  like  Henry  you  are, 
boy ! "  exclaimed  my  Uncle,  the  General  Robert, 
and  he  did  lay  one  of  his  long  and  very  strong 
arms  across  my  shoulder  and  give  to  me  the 


1  Here's  My  Boy,  Governor  "       87 

embrace  for  which  I  had  so  longed;  but  for  not 
enough  time  for  me  to  yield  myself  to  it. 
"  Henry  always  wanted  to  tag  '  Brother  Bob/ 
and  he  too  —  would  —  have  died  —  fighting  for 
me  —  at  my  side.  I've  been  hard  —  and  when 
I  heard  of  his  death  —  I  wanted  you,  boy,  I 
wanted  you  more —  Now  what  do  you  mean, 
sir,  by  making  me  forget  for  one  moment  the 
fix  Bill  Faulkner  and  I  are  in?"  And  my 
Uncle,  the  General  Robert,  gave  to  me  a  good 
shake  as  he  extracted  his  very  large  white  hand 
kerchief  and  blew  upon  his  nose  with  such 
power  that  the  black  chauffeur  looked  around 
at  us  and  made  the  car  to  jump  even  as  he 
and  I  had  done. 

"  And  those  mules  that  it  would  be  your  wish 
to  feed  to  that  Mr.  Jeff  Whitworth,  my  Uncle 
Robert,  will  you  not  tell  me  further  about  them? 
In  Paris  it  is  said  that  they  are  a  very  good 
food  when  made  fat  after  being  old  or  wounded 
in  the  army.  I  have " 

"  That  will  do,  sir.  If  you've  had  to  eat  mule 
in  Paris  don't  tell  me  about  it.  My  constitution 
wouldn't  stand  that,  though  during  our  war,  just 
before  Vicksburg,  I  ate  —  but  we  won't  go  into 


88  The  Daredevil 

that  either.  Now  this  is  the  situation,  as  much 
as  a  lad  from  the  wilds  of  Paris  could  under 
stand  it.  The  French  Government  wants  five 
thousand  mules  by  the  fall  of  the  year,  and 
there  are  no  such  mules  in  the  world  as  this 
State  produces.  They  are  sending  a  man  over 
here  to  try  to  make  a  deal  with  the  State  of 
Harpeth  to  purchase  the  mules  from  private 
breeders,  graze  them  on  the  government  lands 
and  deliver  them  in  a  lot  for  shipment  the  first 
of  August  at  Savannah.  There  is  no  authority 
on  the  statute  book  for  the  State  to  make  such  a 
deal,  but  Jeff  Whitworth  has  fixed  up  a  sort  of 
contract,  that  wouldn't  hold  water  in  the  courts, 
by  which  the  Governor  of  the  State,  Williamson 
Faulkner,  grants  the  grazing  rights  on  the 
State's  lands  to  a  private  company  of  which  he 
is  to  be  a  member,  which,  in  a  way,  guarantees 
the  deal.  They've  made  him  believe  it  to  be  a 
good  financial  thing  for  the  State  and  he  can't 
see  that  they  are  going  to  buy  cheap  stock, 
fatten  it  on  a  low  rate  from  the  State  and  hand 
it  over  to  the  French  Government  at  a  fancy 
rake-off  —  and  then  leave  him  with  the  bag  to 
hold  when  the  time  for  settlement  and  complaint 


'  Here's  My  Boy,  Governor  "       89 

comes.  There  is  a  strong  Republican  party  in 
this  State  and  they're  keeping  quiet,  but  year 
after  next,  when  Bill  Faulkner  comes  up  for 
re-election,  downright  illegality  will  be  alleged, 
and  he  will  be  defeated  in  dishonor  and  with 
dishonor  to  the  State.  I  am  his  Secretary  of 
State  and  I'm  going  to  save  him  if  I  can.  And 
you  are  going  to  help  me,  sir !  "  And  as  he 
spoke  my  Uncle,  the  General  Robert,  gave  to 
me  a  distinguished  shake  of  the  hand  that  made 
my  pride  to  rise  in  my  throat,  which  gave  to 
my  speaking  a  great  huskiness. 

"  I  will  help  in  the  rescue  of  the  honor  of  that 
Gouverneur  Bill  Faulkner,  my  Uncle  Robert, 
with  the  last  breath  in  my  body,  and  I  will  also 
assist  to  feed  mule  to  that  Mr.  Jefferson  Whit- 
worth,  though  not  to  his  beautiful  wife  whom 
I  do  so  much  admire." 

'That's  just  it;  she'll  have  to  eat  mule  the 
first  one.  She's  at  the  Governor  day  and  night 
with  her  wiles,  and  in  my  mind  it's  her  dimity 
influence  that  is  making  him  see  things  with  this 
slant.  They  say  she  put  her  brand  on  him  in 
early  youth.  He's  the  soul  of  honor  but  what 
chance  has  a  man's  soul-honor  got  when  a 


90  The  Daredevil 

woman  wants  to  cash  it  in  for  a  fortune  with 
which  to  lead  a  gay  life?  None!  None,  sir!" 
And  the  countenance  of  my  Uncle,  the  General 
Robert,  became  so  fierce  that  it  was  difficult  to 
find  words  to  answer. 

"  Oh,  my  Uncle  Robert,  is  it  that  a  woman 
would  make  a  cheat  in  giving  the  mule  animal 
of  not  sufficient  strength  to  carry  food  to  poor 
boys  of  France  in  the  trenches  when  there  is 
too  much  mud  for  gasoline!  "  I  exclaimed  with 
a  great  horror  from  knowledge  given  me  by  my 
Capitaine,  the  Count  de  Lasselles. 

"  Just  exactly  what  she  is  trying  to  do,  boy. 
Let  those  poor  chaps  with  guns  in  their  hands 
to  defend  her  civilization  as  well  as  theirs,  die 
for  want  of  a  supply  train  hauled  by  reliable 
mules  when  unreliable  gasoline  fails.  That's 
what  women  are  like."  And  as  he  spoke  I  per 
ceived  the  depth  of  dislike  that  was  in  the  heart 
of  my  Uncle,  the  General  Robert,  for  all  of 
womankind. 

"  There  are  some  women  who  would  not  so 
comport  themselves,  my  Uncle  Robert.  I  give 
you  my  word  as  one "  Then  as  I  hesi 
tated  in  terror  at  the  revelation  of  my  woman's 


'  Here's  My  Boy,  Governor  "      91 

estate  I  had  been  about  to  make,  my  Uncle,  the 
General  Robert,  made  this  remark  to  me: 

1  Women  are  like  crows,  all  black ;  and  the 
exceptional  white  one  only  makes  the  rest  look 
blacker.  The  only  way  to  stop  them  in  their 
depredations  is  to  trap  them,  since  the  law 
forbids  shooting  them."  And  as  he  made  this 
judgment  of  women  I  forgot  for  a  moment  that 
we  discussed  that  Madam  Whitworth,  whom  it 
was  causing  me  great  pain  to  discover  to  be 
the  enemy  of  France,  and  I  thought  of  my 
beautiful  mother,  whom  he  had  judged  without 
ever  having  encountered,  and  a  great  longing 
rose  in  my  heart  so  to  comport  myself  that  his 
heart  should  learn  to  trust  in  me  as  a  man  and 
then  discover  the  honor  of  woman  through  me 
at  some  future  time.  I  took  a  resolve  that 
such  should  be  the  case  and  to  that  end  I  asked 
of  him: 

"  How  is  it  that  I  can  serve  you  in  these 
serious  troubles,  my  Uncle  Robert?"  And  as 
I  asked  that  question  I  made  also  a  vow  in  my 
heart  against  that  black  crow  woman. 

"  Now  that's  what  I'm  coming  to.  The 
French  Government  is  sending  an  army  expert 


92  The  Daredevil 

down  here  to  look  over  the  situation  and  make 
the  contracts.  I  can't  speak  their  heathenish 
tongue  or  read  it,  and  I  want  somebody  whom  I 
can  trust  —  trust,  mind  you  —  to  help  me  talk 
with  him  and  make  any  necessary  translations. 
That  Whitworth  hussy  has  been  translating 
for  us  and  I  don't  trust  her.  Your  letter  was 
handed  to  me  in  the  Governor's  private  office 
and  both  he  and  I  saw  what  a  help  it  would  be 
to  have  you  here  when  this  Frenchie  —  who  is  a 
Count  Something  or  Other  —  and  his  servants 
and  secretaries,  what  he  calls  his  suite,  arrive. 
By  George,  sir,  we  need  your  advice  in  eating 
and  drinking  them!  Do  you  suppose  they'll 
have  intelligence  enough  to  eat  the  manna  of 
the  gods,  which  is  corn  pone,  and  drink  the 
nectar,  which  is  plain  whiskey,  or  will  we  be 
expected  to  furnish  them  with  snails  and 
absinthe  ?  " 

At  that  I  laughed  a  very  large  laugh  and 
made  this  answer  to  the  perturbation  of  my 
Uncle,  the  General  Robert: 

"  I  will  tell  you  after  luncheon,  my  Uncle 
Robert,  because  I  have  not  as  yet  eaten  in  this 
Harpeth  country  of  America." 


"  Here's  My  Boy,  Governor  "       93 

"  All  right,  we'll  talk  about  it  after  you've 
had  one  of  old  Kizzie's  fried  chicken  dinners. 
Here  we  are  at  the  Mansion.  Remember,  you 
know  the  whole  situation  and  are  only  supposed 
to  know  the  part  that  Governor  Bill  thinks  is 
the  whole.  Look  at  me,  boy !  "  And  as  the  big 
car  drove  up  to  the  curb  before  a  great  stone 
house  with  tall  pillars  on  guard  of  its  front,  he 
laid  both  his  hands  upon  my  shoulders  and 
turned  me  towards  him  with  force  and  no  gen 
tleness  and  then  with  his  keen  eyes  did  he  look 
down  into  the  very  soul  of  me. 

'  Yes,  I  see  I  can  trust  you,  sir.  God  bless 
you,  boy !  "  he  said  after  a  very  long  moment  of 
time. 

'  Yes,  my  Uncle  Robert,"  I  answered  him 
without  turning  my  eyes  from  his. 

'  Well,  then,  here  we  are.  I  came  to  the  side 
door  so  I  wouldn't  have  to  introduce  you  to  any 
of  the  boys  this  morning,  for  we  want  to  have 
a  talk  with  the  Governor  before  dinner  and  I 
don't  dare  keep  Kizzie  waiting.  It  riles  her, 
and  a  riled  woman  burns  up  things:  masters, 
husbands,  cooking  or  worse.  Come  on."  And  as 
we  walked  up  the  broad  side  steps  of  that  Man- 


94  The  Daredevil 

sion  of  the  Gouverneur,  my  Uncle  Robert's  hand 
was  on  my  arm  and  I  felt  that  I  was  being 
marched  up  to  the  mouth  of  the  gun  of  Fate 
and  I  wished  very  much  I  could  have  been  hab 
ited  in  my  corduroy  or  cheviot  skirts,  no  matter 
how  short  or  narrow  they  might  be.  A  number 
of  gentlemen  sat  upon  the  wide  verandah  smok 
ing  pipes  or  long  cigars  under  the  budding  rose 
vine  that  trailed  from  one  tall  pillar  to  another, 
and  more  stood  and  talked  in  groups  beside  the 
large  front  door  that  opened  into  the  wide  hall. 
At  the  back  of  the  hall  before  a  closed  door 
stood  a  very  large  black  man  who  was  very  old 
and  bent  and  who  had  tufts  of  white  wool  of 
the  aspect  of  a  sheep  upon  his  head.  He  was 
attired  in  a  long  gray  coat  of  a  military  cut 
that  I  afterwards  learned  was  of  the  late  Con 
federacy,  and  I  soon  had  much  affection  for 
him  because  of  his  reminiscences  of  that  war 
and  also  because  of  his  affection  for  my  noble 
father,  to  whom  he  had  told  the  same  stories 
in  his  early  youth. 

My  Uncle,  the  General  Robert,  had  not 
paused  to  present  to  me  any  of  the  gentlemen 
with  whom  he  had  exchanged  jovial  greetings, 


'  Here's  My  Boy,  Governor  "       95 

but  he  stopped  beside  the  old  black  man  and 
said: 

*'  This  is  Henry's  boy,  Robert,  Cato.  Fine 
young  chap,  eh?  " 

'  Yes,  sir,  Mas'  Robert,"  answered  Cato  as 
he  peered  into  my  face  with  the  nicest  affection 
in  his  black  eyes  set  in  large  spaces  of  white. 

"Like  Henry,  isn't  he?" 

"'Fore  God,  yes,  sir!" 

"  Look  after  him,  Cato.  He'll  be  about  con 
siderable." 

"Dat  I  will  — Mas'  Henry's  boy!" 

"  No  lobbying  dimity  chasing  him,  Cato !  " 

'  Yes,  sir ;  I  understands,  sir." 

"  Is  the  Governor  ready  for  me?  " 

"  Yes,  sir,  you's  to  go  right  in,  Mas'  Robert. 
Mr.  Clendenning  is  with  him  jest  now,  but  he'll 
be  out  in  a  turkey's  call  of  time.  Jest  walk  in, 
sir,  and  you,  the  young  marster,"  and  with  a 
bow  that  almost  allowed  that  the  tails  of  the 
long  gray  coat  swept  the  floor,  the  old  black 
man  opened  the  door  and  motioned  us  into  the 
room  of  the  Gouverneur  of  the  State  of 
Harpeth. 

It  has  been  given  to  me  in  the  very  short  time 


96  The  Daredevil 

of  my  life  to  be  often  in  the  home  of  the  Presi 
dent  of  France,  to  be  presented  at  the  court  of 
England  with  my  father,  to  the  Czar  at  Petro- 
grad  and  to  the  old  Franz  Joseph,  as  well  as 
to  the  beloved  Albert  and  Elizabeth  in  Brussels, 
where  I  did  go  often  to  play  with  the  young 
princess,  and  I  do  know  very  well  how  to 
manage  skirts  whether  very  tight,  or  very  wide 
with  ruffles,  in  the  case  of  such  presentations, 
but  my  heart  rose  very  high  up  and  beat  so 
near  to  the  roots  of  my  tongue  that  it  was 
impossible  for  me  to  speak  as  I  was  presented, 
in  the  traveling  tweeds  of  a  young  man  of 
American  fashion,  to  the  very  wonderful  and 
beautiful  and  fearful  Gouverneur  Williamson 
Faulkner  of  the  State  of  Harpeth. 

"  Here's  my  boy,  Governor,"  was  all  the 
introduction  my  Uncle,  the  General  Robert, 
administered  to  me,  and  I  stood  and  looked 
into  the  face  of  him  whom  afterwards  I  discov 
ered  to  be  the  greatest  gentleman  in  the  world, 
with  my  heart  beating  in  my  throat  and  yet 
astir  under  my  woman's  breast  in  the  place  it 
had  always  before  resided. 


CHAPTER  VI 

"  WE  BOTH  NEED  YOU  " 

I  do  not  know  how  it  is  that  I  shall  find 
words  in  which  to  write  down  the  loveliness 
of  that  Gouverneur  of  Old  Harpeth.  He  was 
not  as  tall  as  my  Uncle,  the  General  Robert,  and 
he  was  slender  and  lithe  as  some  wild  thing  in 
a  forest,  but  the  power  in  the  broadness  of  his 
shoulders  and  in  the  strength  of  his  nervous 
hands  was  of  a  greatness  of  which  to  be  fright 
ened;  that  is,  I  think,  of  which  a  man  should 
be  frightened  but  in  which  a  woman  would  take 
much  glory.  His  hair  was  of  the  tarnished 
gold  of  a  sunset  storm  and  upon  his  temples  was 
a  curved  crest  of  white  that  sparkled  like  the 
spray  of  a  wave.  All  of  which  I  must  have 
seen  with  some  kind  of  inward  eyes,  for  from 
the  moment  my  eyes  lifted  themselves  from 
contemplating  the  carpet  in  embarrassment  over 
my  tweed  trousers  they  were  looking  into  his 

97 


98  The  Daredevil 

in  a  way  which  at  dawn  my  eyes  have  gazed 
into  the  morning  star  rising  near  to  me  over 
the  little  wood  at  the  Chateau  de  Grez.  I  did 
not  for  many  days  know  whether  those  eyes 
were  gray  or  blue  or  purple,  for  when  I 
regarded  them  I  forgot  to  decide,  and  also  they 
were  so  deep  and  shadowed  by  the  blackness  of 
their  lashes  and  brows  that  such  a  decision  was 
difficult.  At  this  time  I  only  knew  that  in 
them  lay  the  fire  of  the  lightning  over  Old  Har- 
peth  when  the  storm  breaks,  the  laugh  of  the 
very  small  boy  who  splashes  bare  feet  in  the 
water  with  glee,  and  also  a  coldness  of  the  stars 
upon  the  frost  of  winter.  I  was  glad  that  I 
came  across  the  dark  ocean  to  flee  from  the 
cruel  guns  into  a  strange  land  to  look  into 
those  eyes. 

"  It  is  good  that  you  have  come,  Robert  Car- 
ruthers,  for  the  General  and  I  both  need  you," 
were  the  words  I  heard  him  saying  to  me  in  a 
voice  that  was  as  deep  and  of  as  much  interest 
as  the  eyes,  and  as  he  spoke  those  words  he 
took  one  of  my  hands  in  both  of  his  strong  ones. 
"  And  if  you  say  snails,  snails  it  shall  be,  if 
Cato  and  I  have  to  invade  every  rose  garden  in 


'  We  Both  Need  You  ); 

Hayesville  and  vicinity  and  stay  up  all  night  to 
catch  them." 

"  I  think  I  shall  choose  that  corn  pone  and 
whiskey  that  my  Uncle,  the  General  Robert,  has 
promised  to  me  from  one  bad  tempered  cook 
at  the  time  of  my  luncheon,"  I  found  myself 
saying  with  a  laugh  that  answered  the  bare 
footed  boy  who  suddenly  looked  at  me  out  of 
the  cool  eyes. 

"  I  thought  I  would  let  him  have  a  try-out 
with  Kizzie  before  we  decided  what  to  feed  the 
savages,"  also  said  my  Uncle,  the  General 
Robert,  with  a  laugh.  "  Besides,  he's  one  him 
self  and  I'll  have  to  go  slow  and  tame  him 
gradually." 

"  No,  he's  ours.  He's  just  come  back  to  his 
own  from  a  strange  land,  General,  and  you'll 
kill  the  fatted  calf  or  rooster,  whichever  Kizzie 
decides,  with  joy  at  getting  him."  And  this 
time  the  star  eyes  gave  to  me  the  quick  sym 
pathy  for  which  I  had  prayed  before  the  Virgin 
with  the  Infant  in  her  arms  in  the  little  chapel 
of  the  old  convent  just  before  we  had  to  flee 
from  the  shells,  leaving  my  father  to  the  Sisters 
to  bury  after  the  enemy  had  come.  I  think  my 


100  The  Daredevil 

eyes  did  tell  that  tale  to  his  and  the  tears  ached 
in  my  throat. 

"  I  know,  boy,"  he  said  softly  and  then  turned 
and  presented  me  to  the  Mr.  Cfendenning  who 
was  arranging  papers  at  a  desk  beside  the 
window. 

I  do  like  with  my  whole  heart  that  funny 
Buzz  Clendenning,  who  has  the  reddest  hair, 
the  largest  brown  speckles  on  his  face  and  the 
widest  mouth  that  I  have  ever  beheld.  Also, 
his  laugh  is  even  wider  than  is  his  mouth  and 
overflows  the  remainder  of  his  face  in  ripples 
of  what  is  called  grin.  He  is  not  much  taller 
than  am  I,  but  of  much  more  powerful  build, 
as  is  natural,  though  he  did  not  at  that  moment 
recognize  the  reason  thereof. 

"  Shake  hands,  boys ;  don't  stand  looking  at 
each  other  like  young  puppies,"  said  my  Uncle, 
the  General  Robert,  as  he  clapped  his  hand  on 
the  back  of  the  Mr.  Buzz  Clendenning.  "  You 
don't  have  to  fight  it  out.  Your  fathers  licked 
each  other  week  about  for  twenty  years." 

"  Can't  I  even  ask  him  to  take  off  his  coat 
once,  General  ?  "  answered  that  Mr.  Buzz  with 
the  grin  all  over  his  face  and  spreading  to  my 


'  We  Both  Need  You  "  101 

countenance  as  he  took  my  hand  in  his  to 
administer  one  of  those  shakes  of  which  I  had 
had  so  many  since  my  arrival  in  America. 
For  a  second  he  looked  startled  and  glanced 
down  at  my  white  hand  that  he  held  in  his  and 
from  it  to  my  eyes  that  were  looking  into  his 
with  the  entire  friendliness  of  my  heart.  Sud 
denly  I  had  a  great  fright  of  discovery  within 
me  and  my  knees  began  to  again  tremble 
together  for  their  skirts,  but  before  that  fright 
had  reached  my  eyes  quite,  I  had  born  to  me 
an  elder  brother  in  the  person  of  that  Buzz 
Clendenning,  and  I  now  know  that  I  can  never 

lose  him,  even  when  he  knows  that 

"  I'm  no  shakes  in  the  duel,  Prince,  so  let's 
kiss  and  make  up  before  you  get  out  your 
sword,"  he  said  as  he  also,  as  my  Uncle,  the 
General  Robert,  had  done,  laid  an  arm  across 
my  shoulders  in  an  embrace  of  affection.  It 
was  then  I  made  a  discovery  in  the  strange  land 
into  which  I  was  penetrating:  Men  have  much 
sentiment  in  their  hearts  that  it  is  impossible 
for  a  woman  to  discover  from  behind  a  fan. 
They  keep  it  entirely  for  each  other  as  com 
rades,  and  I  received  a  large  portion  of  such 


102  The  Daredevil 

an  affection  when  that  Mr.  Buzz  Clendenning 
adopted  me  in  what  he  thought  was  my  foreign 
weakness,  as  a  small  brother  to  be  protected  in 
his  large  heart. 

"  I  am  very  happy  to  so  salute  you  instead  of 
the  duel,"  I  made  answer  and  did  immediately 
put  a  kiss  on  his  one  cheek,  expecting  that  he 
would  return  it  upon  my  cheeks,  first  one  and 
then  another,  as  is  the  custom  of  comrades  and 
officers  in  France. 

"  Here,  help!  Don't  do  that  again  or  I'll  call 
out  the  police,"  responded  that  funny  Mr.  Buzz 
Clendenning,  as  he  shook  me  away  from  him, 
while  my  Uncle,  the  General  Robert,  and  the 
great  Gouverneur  did  both  indulge  in  laughter. 

"  I  am  abashed  and  I  beg  your  pardon  for 
offending  against  the  customs  of  your  country. 
I  do  remember  now  that  my  father  did  not 
permit  such  a  salutation  from  his  brother  offi 
cers,  and  I  will  not  do  so  again,  Monsieur  Buzz 
Clendenning,"  I  said  as  my  cheeks  became  crim 
son  with  mortification  and  tears  would  have 
come  over  my  eyes  had  my  pride  permitted. 

'  This  is  what  he  meant  you  to  do,  Buzz,  you 
duffer.  I  said  good-bye  to  twenty-two  of  my 


'  We  Both  Need  You  "  103 

friends  this  way  the  day  I  set  sail  from  old 
Heidelberg,"  and  as  he  spoke,  that  great  and 
beautiful  and  exalted  Gouverneur  Faulkner  did 
bend  his  head  to  mine  and  give  to  me  the  correct 
comrade  salute  of  my  own  country  on  first  one 
of  my  cheeks  and  then  upon  the  other. 

"  I  thank  you,  your  Excellency,"  I  murmured 
with  gratitude.  I  wonder  what  that  Russian 
Count  Estzkerwitch  or  Mr.  Peter  Scudder 
or  Lord  Leigholm  on  those  Scotch  moors, 
would  have  thought  to  hear  Roberta,  Marquise 
of  Grez  and  Bye,  express  such  gratitude  for 
two  small  pecks  upon  her  cheek  delivered  in 
America. 

'  Yes,  sir,  it's  mighty  pretty  to  look  at  but  I 
reckon  the  kid  had  better  stow  the  habit  before 
he  is  introduced  to  Jeff  Whitworth  and  Miles 
Menefee  and  the  rest  of  the  bunch,"  said  that 
Mr.  Buzz  as  he  left  off  wiping  from  his  cheek 
with  the  back  of  his  hand  the  kiss  I  had  put 
there,  and  administered  to  me  another  embrace 
on  my  shoulders  with  his  long  arm.  "  Besides, 
youngster,  there  are  girls  in  Hayesville,"  he 
added  with  a  grin  that  again  was  reflected  on 
my  face  without  my  will  and  which  did  entirely 


104  The  Daredevil 

take  away  my  anger  and  embarrassment  at  his 
repulse. 

"Girls!  Girls!"  exploded  my  Uncle,  the 
General  Robert.  '  The  female  young  generally 
known  as  girls  are  about  as  much  use  to 
humanity  as  a  bunch  of  pin  feathers  tied  with 
a  pink  ribbon  would  be  in  the  place  of  the 
household  feather  duster  that  the  Lord  lets 
them  grow  into  after  they  reach  their  years  of 
discretion.  Robert  has  no  time  to  waste  with 
the  unfledged.  Don't  even  suggest  it  to  him, 
Clendenning.  And  now  you  can  take  him 
around  to  my  house  and  tell  Kizzie  to  begin 
filling  you  both  up  while  I  wait  for  a  moment 
to  go  over  these  papers  with  the  Governor. 
And  both  of  you  avoid  the  female  young,  for 
we've  work  for  you;  mind  you,  work  and  no 
gallivanting.  Now  go !  Depart !  " 

"  The  old  boy  is  a  forty-two  centimeter  gun 
that  fires  at  the  mention  of  the  lovely  sex  and 
doesn't  stop  until  the  ammunition  gives  out," 
said  Mr.  Buzz  Clendenning  as  he  slid  into  the 
seat  of  his  slim  gray  racer  beside  me  and  started 
from  the  curb  on  high  without  a  single  kick  of 
the  engine.  "  I'd  like  to  wish  a  nice  girl,  whom 


1  We  Both  Need  You  "  105 

he  couldn't  shake  off,  onto  him  for  about  a  week 
and  watch  him  squirm  along  to  surrender.  Wait 
until  you  see  Sue  Tomlinson  get  hold  of  him 
down  on  the  street  some  day.  He  shuts  his  eyes 
and  just  fires  away  at  her  while  she  purrs  at 
him,  and  it  is  a  sight  for  the  gods.  Sue's  father 
died  and  left  her  with  her  invalid  mother  and 
not  enough  money  to  invite  in  the  auctioneer,  but 
the  General  took  some  old  accounts  of  the  Doc 
tor's,  collected  and  invested  them  and  made  up 
plenty  of  money  for  Sue's  grubstake,  though  he 
goes  around  three  blocks  to  get  past  her.  Sue 
adores  him  and  approaches  him  from  all  sides, 
but  has  never  made  a  landing  yet.  Say,  you'll 
like  Sue.  She  is  pretty  enough  to  eat,  but  don't 
try  to  bite.  It's  no  use." 

"  Is  it  that  this  lovely  Mademoiselle  Sue  does 
not  like  gentlemen  save  my  Uncle,  the  General 
Robert?"  I  asked  with  great  interest.  I  was 
glad  in  my  heart  that  I  was  soon  to  see  and 
speak  with  a  nice  girl  even  if  it  had  to  be  in 
character  of  a  man. 

"  Oh,  she  loves  us  —  all,"  answered  that  Mr. 
Buzz  with  the  greatest  gloom.  "All  of  us  — 
every  blamed  son-of-a-gun  of  us." 


106  The  Daredevil 

"  Oh,  I  comprehend  now  that  it  is  your  wish 
that  she  love  only  you,  Mr.  Clendenning,  and 
are  sad  that  she  does  not,"  I  said  as  I  looked 
at  him  with  much  sympathy. 

"  That  is  about  it,  Prince,  but  don't  say  I  said 
so.  Everybody  chases  Susan.  She  even  wins 
an  occasional  ice  cream  smile  from  His  Excel 
lency.  I  bet  she'd  go  up  against  that  august 
iceberg  itself  in  a  try-out  for  a  '  First  Lady  of 
the  State '  badge  if  Mrs.  Pat  Whitworth  hadn't 
got  the  whole  woman  bunch  to  believe  she  has 
a  corner  on  his  ice.  Mrs.  Pat  is  some  little 
cornerer,  believe  me." 

"  Oh,  I  did  like  that  Madam  Whitworth,  and 
I  hope  that  it  will  be  my  pleasure  to  see  her 
again  soon,"  I  said  with  an  ice  in  my  voice  as 
I  caught  my  breath  while  Mr.  Buzz  Clendenning 
drove  between  two  cars  and  a  wagon  with  not 
so  much  as  an  inch  to  spare  on  all  three  sides 
of  the  car.  It  is  as  I  like  to  drive  when  at  the 
wheel,  but  sitting  beside  another 

"  You'll  see  her  at  the  Governor's  dinner  for 
you  Tuesday,  if  not  sooner,  and  just  watch  her 
and  the  General  war  dance  with  each  other.  He 
opens  his  eyes  when  Mrs.  Pat  attacks  and  he 


'  We  Both  Need  You  '  107 

imagines  he  is  the  whole  Harpeth  Valley  Militia 
defending  His  Excellency  of  Iceland  from  her 
wiles.  Just  watch  him ! "  And  this  time  it  was 
three  wagons  that  we  slid  between  and  beyond. 

"  Why  is  it  that  the  great  Gouverneur  Faulk 
ner  has  such  a  coldness  for  ladies  ?  "  I  asked 
of  that  Mr.  Buzz.  "  I  did  find  him  to  be  of 
such  a  beautiful  kindness." 

"  He's  been  too  much  chased.  He's  got  his 
fingers  crossed  on  them,  they  tell  me.  Just 
watch  him  in  action  at  his  dinner.  He  side 
steps  so  gently  that  they  never  know  it." 

''  Why  is  it  then  that  he  gives  to  me  this 
dinner  of  honor  when  he  so  dislikes  all  —  that 
is,  I  mean  to  ask  of  you  why  is  it  that  I  am  so 
honored  by  that  very  great  Gouverneur  Faulk 
ner  of  the  State  of  Harpeth?"  I  asked,  and  I 
had  a  great  fright  that  I  had  again  so  nearly 
betrayed  Robert  Carruthers  to  be  one  of  the 
sex  so  hated  by  that  noble  gentleman,  the 
Gouverneur  Faulkner.  "  I  must  think  of  myself 
as  a  man  in  future,"  I  commanded  myself. 

"  Didn't  the  General  tell  you  about  it  ?  It  is 
to  introduce  you  to  the  flower  and  chivalry  of 
your  native  land.  Believe  me,  it  will  be  some 


108  The  Daredevil 

dinner  dance.  The  General  wanted  it  to  be  a 
stag,  but  Sue  fought  to  the  last  trench,  which 
was  tears,  and  he  gave  in.  These  days  the 
Governor  loses  no  chance  to  honor  his  Secretary 
of  State  for  —  for  political  reasons,"  and  as 
he  spoke  that  good  Mr.  Clendenning  looked  at 
the  wheel  for  steering,  and  I  could  see  that 
there  was  deep  concern  in  his  eyes. 

"  Is  it  that  —  that  trouble  of  mules,  Monsieur 
Clendenning? "  I  asked  of  him  softly  in  a 
woman's  way  for  administering  sympathy  for 
distress  but  without  the  masculine  discretion 
that  I  was  to  learn  swiftly  thereafter  to  employ. 

"  Don't  talk  about  it,  for  I  don't  know  how 
much  either  of  us  knows  or  our  chief  wants 
us  to  know,  but  Governor  Williamson  Faulkner 
is  a  man  of  honor  and  I'd  stake  my  life  on  that. 
He's  being  pushed  hard  and  —  Gee !  Here  we 
are  at  the  General's  and  I  can  smell  Kizzie's 
cream  gravy  with  my  mind's  nose.  I  under 
stand  that  your  father  was  the  last  Henry  Car- 
ruthers  of  five  born  up  in  the  old  mahogany 
bedstead  that  the  General  inhabits  between  the 
hours  of  one  and  five  A.  M.  Some  shack,  this  of 
the  General's,  isn't  it?  Nothing  finer  in  the 


'  We  Both  Need  You  "  109 

State."  And  as  he  spoke  that  Mr.  Buzz  Clen- 
denning  stopped  the  car  before  the  home  of  my 
Uncle,  the  General  Robert,  and  we  alighted 
from  it  together. 

I  do  not  know  how  it  is  that  I  can  put  into 
words  the  beautiful  feeling  that  rose  from  the 
inwardness  of  me  as  I  stood  in  front  of  the 
home  of  my  fathers  in  this  far-away  America. 
The  entire  city  of  Hayesville  is  a  city  of  old 
homes,  I  had  noticed  as  I  drove  in  the  gray  car 
so  rapidly  along  with  Mr.  Buzz  Clendenning 
while  he  was  speaking  to  me,  but  no  house  had 
been  so  beautiful  as  was  this  one.  It  was  old, 
with  almost  the  vine-covered  age  of  the  Cha 
teau  de  Grez,  but  instead  of  being  of  gray 
stone  it  was  of  a  red  brick  that  was  as  warm  as 
the  embers  of  an  oak  fire  with  the  film  of  ashes 
crusting  upon  it.  Thus  it  seemed  to  be  both 
red  and  gray  beneath  the  vines  that  were  cast 
ing  delicate  green  traceries  over  its  walls.  Great 
white  pillars  were  to  the  front  of  it  like  at  the 
Mansion  of  the  Gouverneur,  and  many  wide 
windows  and  doors  opened  out  from  it.  Two 
old  oak  trees  which  give  to  it  the  name  of  Twin 
Oaks  stood  at  each  side  of  the  old  brick  walk 


110  The  Daredevil 

that  led  from  the  tall  gate,  and  as  I  walked 
under  them  I  felt  that  I  had  from  a  cruel  world 
come  home. 


CHAPTER  VII 

THE  GIRL  BUNCH 

And,  if  I  felt  in  that  manner  as  I  entered 
the  house,  I  felt  it  to  a  still  greater  degree 
when  I  was  welcomed  by  that  most  lovely  old 
black  slave  woman  of  the  high  temper  and  good 
cookery.  She  opened  the  door  for  us  herself, 
though  a  nice  boy  the  color  of  a  chocolate  bon 
bon  stood  in  waiting  to  perform  that  office.  She 
had  a  spoon  in  her  hand  and  upon  her  head 
was  a  spotless  white  turban,  as  also  was  an 
apron  of  an  equal  spotlessness  tied  around  her 
very  large  waist. 

"  You,  Mas'  Robert,  you  done  come  home 
from  the  heathen  land  to  keep  my  food  waiting 
jest  like  yo'  father  did  from  the  minute  I  ontied 
him  from  my  apron  string.  Come  right  into 
the  dining  room  'fore  my  gravy  curdles  and  the 
liver  wing  I  done  saved  for  you  gits  too  brown 
in  the  skillet,"  was  all  of  the  introduction  or 

ill 


112  The  Daredevil 

greeting  that  she  gave  to  me  as  she  waddled 
along  behind  Mr.  Buzz  Clendenning  and  my 
self,  driving  us  down  the  hall  and  into  the  din 
ing-room.  "Mas'  Buzz,  how  is  yo'  mother?  I 
'lowed  to  git  over  to  see  her  soon  as  this  ruckus 
of  young  Mas'  coming  home  is  over.  Now, 
here's  the  place  fer  you  both  and  that  no  'count 
boy  will  bring  in  yo'  dinner  proper  to  you  or 
he'll  be  skunt  alive."  With  which  she  departed 
through  a  door,  from  which  came  an  aroma 
that  led  to  madness  of  hunger,  and  left  the 
bonbon  servant  to  attend  us. 

"  Gee,  I  hope  Kizzie  killed  by  the  half  dozen 
last  night;  if  there  aren't  three  chickens  apiece 
you'll  be  hungry,  L'Aiglon,"  said  Mr.  Buzz 
Clendenning  with  a  laugh  as  he  seated  himself 
beside  me  and  unfolded  his  napkin. 

"  I  wish  that  you  might  call  me  Robert,  Mr. 
Clendenning,"  I  said  with  a  great  friendliness 
as  I  ate  a  food  that  I  had  not  before  tasted  and 
that  I  did  so  much  like  that  I  was  tempted  to 
steal  some  to  put  in  my  pocket  for  fear  I  would 
come  to  believe  that  I  had  dreamed  it  to  exist. 
It  is  called  corn  pone  and  is  made  of  maize,  and 
it  will  be  found  in  some  form  at  every  meal 


The  Girl  Bunch  113 

upon  my  Uncle,  the  General  Robert's,  table, 
good  Kizzie  assured  me  as  I  made  her  a  com 
pliment  about  it. 

'  Though  the  name  of  that  son  of  our  great 
Napoleon  is  very  dear  to  me,"  I  added  at  his 
quick  glance,  fearing  he  might  think  me 
offended  at  what  is  called  a  nickname. 

"  Sure,  Bobbie,  and  you'll  forget  that  I 
wouldn't  let  you  kiss  me,  won't  you?"  he 
answered  as  he  drew  back  from  the  table  and 
lit  a  cigarette  after  passing  me  the  case. 
'''  Everybody  calls  me  Buzz  the  Bumble  Bee 
because  of  a  historic  encounter  of  mine  with 
a  whole  nest  of  bumblebees  right  out  here  in 
the  General's  garden.  It  is  a  title  of  heroism 
and  I'd  like  to  have  you  use  it  as  if  we'd  been 
kids  together  as  we  were  slated  to  have  been. 
Gee,  I  bet  you  could  have  beat  the  bees  down 
some.  You  looked  all  soft  to  me  when  I  first 
sawr  you  but  you  are  so  quick  and  lithe  and 
springy  that  you  must  be  some  steel.  What 
do  you  weigh  out,  stripped?" 

''  Er  —  er,  about  one-thirty,"  I  answered,  and 
I  made  a  resolve  not  to  blush  or  show  anything 
of  embarrassment,  no  matter  what  was  to  be 


114  The  Daredevil 

said  to  me  in  my  estate  of  a  young  gentleman. 

And  I  make  this  note  to  myself  that  it  is  a 
great  pleasure  and  interest  to  sit  beside  a  nice 
young  man  with  a  cigarette  in  his  mouth  and 
one  in  my  hand  as  if  for  smoking,  which  I  do 
not  like  to  do  from  its  bitterness,  and  converse 
with  him  about  matters  of  good  sense  without 
having  in  any  way  to  use  that  coquetry  which 
breaks  into  small  sections  the  usual  conversa 
tion  between  a  man  and  a  woman  of  enthusiastic 
youngness. 

"  I  tip  at  one  fifty-two,  but  I'm  an  inch  and 
a  half  taller.  Do  you  run?  You're  good  and 
deep  chested,"  he  further  inquired  and  it  was 
with  difficulty  that  I  again  controlled  the 
blush. 

"  I  fence  and  I'm  large  of  lung,"  I  answered 
quickly. 

"Ride?" 

"  Anything  ever  foaled,"  I  answered  in  words 
I  had  heard  my  father  use  about  my  horse 
manship. 

"Don't  smoke?" 

"  Don't  like  it." 

"Golf?" 


The  Girl  Bunch  115 

"Some  — wild." 

"  I  play  a  hurry  game  myself,"  he  laughed. 
"Dance?" 

'  With  a  greatness  of  pleasure,"  I  answered. 

After  that  for  a  time  he  puffed  at  his  ciga 
rette  and  I  looked  around  the  long  dining  room 
that  was  almost  as  large  as  the  dining-hall  at 
the  Chateau  de  Grez  and  which  was  dark  and 
rich  and  full  of  old  silver  on  the  sideboard  and 
old  portraits  on  the  walls.  Finally  my  Buzz  put 
out  the  stub  of  his  cigarette  in  his  saucer  and 
looked  me  keenly  in  the  face  as  I  raised  my  eyes 
to  his. 

''  Booze?  "  he  asked  quietly. 

"No!" 

'  That's  good,  old  top.  Me  neither !  Say, 
let's  go  call  on  Sue  and  you  can  get  a  nice  little 
initiation  into  the  girl  bunch  before  the  General 
stops  you  by  locking  you  away  from  them." 

"  I  wish  that  I  might,  but  I  must  unpack  my 
bags  and  write  the  letters  to  small  Pierre  and 
my  nurse  Nannette;  also  be  ready  for  transla 
tions  for  my  Uncle,  the  General  Robert,  when 
he  arrives.  Will  you  persuade  the  lovely  Made 
moiselle  Sue  that  she  save  one  little  dance  for 


116  The  Daredevil 

me  on  that  evening  of  Tuesday?  "  I  said  as  we 
rose  and  walked  down  the  long  hall  towards  the 
wide  door  under  the  budding  rose  vine. 

"  She'll  dead  sure  give  you  one  —  of  mine," 
he  answered  me  with  a  laugh,  "  but  come  along 
with  me  now,  L'Aiglon.  The  General  won't  be 
home  until  night.  I  laid  some  letters  on  his 
desk  that  will  hold  him  and  Governor  Bill  until 
sunset.  They'll  have  pie  and  milk  sent  in  and 
work  it  all  out  together.  What's  the  use  of 
having  them  to  watch  the  affairs  of  the  State 
of  Harpeth  for  us  if  we  don't  use  the  time 
they  are  on  watch  in  having  some  joy  life? 
Come  on ! " 

''  I  go,"  I  made  answer  with  a  great  pleasure. 

Then  we  descended  to  the  gray  car  of  much 
speed  and  did  use  that  speed  in  turning  many 
streets  until  we  came  to  another  very  fine  old 
house,  where,  I  was  informed  by  my  Mr.  Buzz 
Clendenning,  resides  that  Mademoiselle  Susan 
of  so  much  loveliness. 

And  it  is  of  a  truth  that  I  discovered  that 
loveliness  to  be  as  great  as  \vas  told  to  me  by 
her  true  lover.  When  I  raised  my  head  from  the 
kiss  of  presentation  I  gave  to  her  hand  I  looked 


The  Girl  Bunch  117 

into  very  deep  and  very  wonderful  girl  eyes  that 
had  in  their  depths  tears  that  were  for  a  sym 
pathy  for  me,  I  knew.  My  heart  of  an  exile 
beat  very  high  in  my  own  girl's  breast  that 
ached  for  the  refuge  of  her  woman's  arms,  and 
I  must  have  partly  betrayed  my  yearning  to  her, 
for  I  saw  an  expression  of  confused  question 
come  into  her  eyes  that  looked  into  mine;  then 
the  beautiful  thing  that  had  come  into  my  Mr. 
Buzz  Clendenning's  eyes  for  me  came  also  into 
hers  in  place  of  the  question.  I  saw  then  in 
those  eyes  a  sister  born  to  the  boy  Robert 
Carruthers  of  a  great  French  strangeness. 

"  I've  been  thinking  about  you  all  morning, 
Mr.  Carruthers,  and  hoping  Buzz  would  bring 
you  with  him  to  see  me  first  of  all.  I  wanted 
to  be  the  first  one  of  the  girls  to  say,  '  Welcome 
home '  to  you."  And  as  she  spoke  those  words 
of  much  tenderness  I  again  bent  over  her  hand 
in  salutation  because  I  could  give  forth  no  words 
from  my  throat. 

"  Sue,  you  are  the  real  sweet  thing  —  and 
now  notice  me  a  bit,  will  you  ?  "  said  my  fine 
Mr.  Buzz  Clendenning  with  both  emotion  and 
a  teasing  in  his  voice.  "  I  know  I  haven't  got 


118  The  Daredevil 

French  manners  and  don't  look  like  L'Aiglon, 
but  I'm  an  affectionate  rough  jewel." 

"  Please  don't  mind  Buzz,  Mr.  Carruthers  — 
he  just  can't  help  buzzing.  Isn't  it  great  about 
the  dance  Tuesday  night?  I  fought  hard  to 
save  you  from  a  horrid  long  banquet  with  a 
lot  of  solemn  men.  I  ought  to  be  the  belle  of 
that  ball  and  you  and  Buzz  will  be  ungrateful 
if  you  neglect  me,"  and  as  she  made  these 
remarks  for  laughter,  I  liked  still  more  this 
new  friend. 

'  You  are  the  good,  thoughtful  little  mission 
ary  to  the  foreigner,  Susan.  I  suppose  you 
wanted  to  stay  at  home  and  tat  socks  while 
Bobbie  and  I  dined  and  wined  —  not,"  was  the 
very  unappreciative  answer  that  was  made  to 
her  by  that  Buzz. 

"  For  always  I  will  be  your  humble  slave, 
Mademoiselle  Susan,"  was  the  answer  I  made 
into  her  laughing  eyes.  "  All  the  evening  I 
will  wait  in  loneliness  for  the  small  crumbs  of 
dance  that  you  throw  to  me." 

"  That  will  do,  Robert ;  you  don't  know  how 
spoiled  Susan  is  and  you're  making  trouble  for 
me.  Besides,  you  haven't  seen  the  baby  Belle 


The  Girl  Bunch  119 

in  war  paint  yet.  Let's  go  call  on  her  now !  " 
And  that  Mr.  Buzz  Clendenning  was  in  a 
moment  ready  for  making  more  new  friends 
for  me.  "  Come  on,  Susan,  we  can  tie  Prince 
Bob  on  the  running  board." 

"  Why,  there's  Belle  at  the  gate  now  and  — 
yes  —  it's  Mrs.  Whitworth  with  her.  I  wonder 
when  she  came  from  New  York,"  said  Made 
moiselle  Susan  as  we  went  to  meet  the  guests 
approaching,  I  on  the  one  side  of  her  and  the 
Mr.  Buzz  on  the  other. 


CHAPTER  VIII 

IN  THE  DRESS  OF  MAGNIFICENCE 

'  The  beautiful  Madam  Whitworth  came 
down  upon  the  same  train  which  I  occupied," 
I  said  as  I  remembered  to  raise  from  my  head 
my  hat  by  that  action  on  the  part  of  my  Mr. 
Buzz. 

"  Oh,  then  you  have  been  presented  to 
L'Aiglon?"  said  Mr.  Buzz  to  that  Madam 
Whitworth  who  stood  smiling  while  I  was  pre 
sented  to  the  very  lovely  girl  of  great  blondness, 
who  both  blushed  and  what  is  called  giggled 
as  I  kissed  her  hand,  though  in  her  eyes  I 
found  a  nice  friendliness  to  me. 

"  We  are  old  friends  who  know  all  about 
each  other,  aren't  we,  Mr.  Robert  Carruthers?  " 
and  in  her  gay  answer  to  that  Mr.  Buzz  I 
detected  a  challenge  as  her  eyes  of  blue  flowers 
in  snow  looked  into  mine  with  the  keenness  of  a 
knife,  to  detect  if  I  had  yet  been  told  aught  of 

120 


In  the  Dress  of  Magnificence     121 

her  by  my  Uncle.  And  in  the  answering  look 
of  friendliness  I  gave  her  was  concealed  also 
a  knife  of  great  keenness,  which  came  from  a 
brain  with  which  I  hoped  to  do  to  the  death  that 
enemy  of  France.  And  also  I  felt  my  heart 
spring  to  the  protection  of  the  honor  of  great 
Gouverneur  Faulkner,  who  had  given  me  a 
comrade's  salute  within  a  few  hours  past;  and 
also  to  the  protection  of  the  honor  of  my  house 
in  the  person  of  my  Uncle,  the  General  Robert. 

"  Indeed,  I  have  much  joy  that  I  was  given 
the  opportunity  to  know  the  very  beautiful 
Madam  Whitworth  at  so  early  a  time  in  my 
life  in  America,"  I  made  answer  to  her  question 
in  words  as  I  bent  also  over  her  hand  for  a  kiss 
of  salutation. 

And  then  I  had  a  great  amusement  at  the 
skill  with  which  that  Madam  Whitworth 
brought  it  to  pass  that  I  walked  with  her  from 
that  gate  and  left  the  three  new  and  lovely 
friends  I  had  made  looking  after  me  with 
affection  and  regret  at  my  departure. 

"  Of  course,  it  was  horrid  of  me  to  snatch 
you  like  that  from  those  infants,  but  —  I  really 
had  the  claim  to  have  you  for  a  little  time  to 


122  The  Daredevil 

hear  your  impressions  of  Hayesville,  now,  didn't 
I  ?  —  you  boy  with  eyes  as  beautiful  as  a 
girl's!"  she  said  to  me  as  I  walked  down  the 
wide  street  beside  her. 

"  I  hope  you  will  always  make  such  claims 
of  me,  Madam,"  I  made  answer  with  the  great 
sweetness  with  which  I  was  determined  for  the 
time  to  keep  covered  the  steel  knife. 

"  I  know  how  to  claim  —  and  also  to  reward," 
she  answered  me  with  a  warmth  that  gave  me  a 
great  discomfort.  "  And  how  did  you  escape 
from  the  General  into  feminine  society  on  your 
very  first  day?  Wasn't  there  work  for  you  at 
the  Capitol?  I  understand  that  they  are  expect 
ing  that  French  Commissioner  very  soon  now." 
She  asked  the  question  with  an  indifference  that 
I  knew  to  be  false. 

"  I  think  it  is  that  I  am  allowed  to  get  my  — 
what  you  say  in  English?  —  land  legs,"  I 
answered  with  much  unconcern. 

"  Speaking  of  that  Frenchman  who  is  coming 
down  for  the  mule  contracts,  of  which  by  this 
time  you  have  doubtless  heard,  I  wonder  why 
it  is  that  the  Count  of  Lasselles,  your  friend,  is 
sending  one  of  his  lieutenants  instead  of  coming 


In  the  Dress  of  Magnificence     123 

himself.  Did  he  say  anything  of  coming  down 
later?  I  wish  he  would,  for  to  my  mind  he  is 
one  of  your  greatest  soldiers  and  I  would  like  to 
look  into  his  face.  That  portrait  in  the  Review 
is  one  of  the  most  interesting  I  have  almost 
ever  seen.  Is  there  any  chance  of  his  coming 
down  ?  "  And  I  was  of  a  great  curiosity  at 
the  anxiety  in  her  face  about  the  movements  of 
my  Capitaine,  the  Count  de  Lasselles. 

"  He  told  me  only  that  he  would  go  to  the 
grain  fields  of  English  Canada,  Madam,"  I 
answered  her  by  guardedly  telling  her  no  more 
than  my  words  upon  that  train  had  revealed 
to  her. 

"  If  he  writes  to  you,  you  must  tell  me  about 
it,"  she  said  with  great  friendliness.  "  I  am 
interested  in  everything  that  happens  to  him." 

"  I  will  do  that,  with  thanks  for  your  inter 
est,"  I  answered  to  her  with  an  air  of  great 
devotion.  "  And  behold,  is  it  not  the  Twin 
Oaks  of  my  Uncle  I  see  across  the  street?"  I 
asked  as  I  stopped  in  front  of  that  fine  old 
home  that  was  now  mine. 

"  Come  on  down  the  street  to  my  home  and 
I'll  give  you  a  cup  of  tea,"  she  invited  me  with 


124  The  Daredevil 

very  evident  desire  for  my  company  for  more 
questioning. 

"  I  give  many  thanks,  but  that  is  not  possible 
to  me,  as  I  must  write  notes  to  my  Pierre  and 
old  Nannette  for  the  evening  railroad.  I  bid 
you  good  day,  beautiful  Madam,"  and  again 
I  bent  over  her  hand  in  a  salutation  of 
departure. 

'  Then  I'll  see  you  again  soon,"  she  said  and 
smiled  at  me  as  I  stood  with  my  hat  in  my  hand 
as  she  went  away  from  me  down  the  street. 

"  Vive  la  France  and  Harpeth  America ! "  I 
said  to  myself  as  I  ascended  the  steps,  was 
admitted  by  the  Bonbon  and  conducted  up  the 
stairway  to  my  apartments  by  good  Kizzie, 
whom  I  met  in  the  wide  hall. 

And  there  ensued  an  hour  of  the  greatest 
interest  to  me  as  the  very  good  old  slave  woman 
led  me  from  one  of  the  rooms  in  the  large  house 
to  another,  with  many  stories  of  great  interest. 
At  last  we  came  to  that  room  in  which  had  been 
deposited  my  bags  and  my  other  equipment  for 
my  journey  and  there  we  made  a  very  long 
pause. 

"  This   is   your   Grandma    Carruthers'    room, 


In  the  Dress  of  Magnificence     125 

the  General's  grandma,  and  she  was  the  high- 
headedest  lady  of  the  whole  family.  That  am 
her  portrait  over  the  mantelshelf.  You  is  jest 
like  her  as  two  peas  in  the  pod  and  I  reckin 
I'll  have  to  take  a  stick  to  you  like  I  did  to  yo' 
father  when  he  was  most  growed  up  and  stole 
all  the  fruitcake  I  had  done  baked  in  July  fer 
Christmas,"  she  said  with  a  wide  smile  of  great 
affection  upon  her  very  large  mouth. 

"  I  beg  that  you  put  under  a  key  that  cake, 
beloved  Madam  Kizzie,"  I  made  answer  to  her 
with  also  a  laugh. 

"  Never  was  no  key  to  nothing  in  this  house, 
chile,"  she  answered  to  me.  "  I  'lowed  to  the 
Gener'l  that  he  had  oughter  git  a  lock  and  key 
fer  this  here  flowered  silk  dress  in  the  glass  case 
on  the  wall  dat  de  ole  Mis'  wore  at  the  ball 
where  she  met  up  with  Mas'  Carruthers,  but 
they  do  say  that  she  comes  back  and  walks  as 
a  ha'nt  all  dressed  in  it  and  these  here  slippers 
and  stockings  and  folderols  in  the  carved  box 
on  the  table  here  under  her  picture.  Is  you 
'fraid  of  ha'nts,  honey?" 

"  I  will  not  be  afraid  of  this  beautiful  Grand 
mamma  in  this  dress  of  so  great  magnificence, 


126  The  Daredevil 

my  good  Kizzie,"  I  made  answer  to  her  with 
more  of  courage  than  I  at  that  moment  felt. 

'  Well,  it's  only  in  case  of  a  death  in  the 
house  that  she  —  Lands  alive,  am  that  my  cake 
burning?"  With  which  exclamation  the  good 
Kizzie  left  me  to  the  company  of  the  beautiful 
Grandmamma. 

After  having  unpacked  and  nicely  put  away 
all  of  the  apparel  from  my  two  large  bags,  the 
fine  Bonbon  retired  below  to  answer  a  summons 
from  good  Kizzie,  and  left  me  alone  for  the 
first  time  since  I  had  opened  my  eyes  that  morn 
ing  while  being  whirled  in  the  railway  train 
down  into  the  State  of  Harpeth.  I  looked  at 
the  hunting  watch  strapped  to  my  wrist,  which 
I  had  worn  while  traveling,  and  saw  that  it  was 
after  five  o'clock,  and  I  felt  that  I  must  sleep 
before  dining,  if  for  only  a  moment. 

Thereupon  I  immediately  climbed  slowly  and 
awkwardly  out  of  that  gray  tweed  suit  of 
clothes.  I  did  so  wonder  what  could  be  the 
best  method  of  releasing  one's  self  from  trou 
sers.  It  is  a  feat  of  balance  to  stand  on  one 
foot  and  remove  one  portion  of  the  two  sides  of 
the  trousers,  and  yet  it  is  an  entanglement  to 


In  the  Dress  of  Magnificence     127 

drop  the  two  portions  upon  the  floor  and  attempt 
to  step  out  of  them  with  the  shoes  upon  your 
feet.  Having  succeeded  in  getting  out  of  them 
the  last  night  when  prone  upon  the  sleeping 
shelf  of  the  railroad  train,  without  injury  to 
them,  I  again  prostrated  myself  upon  the  huge 
bed  in  my  room  and  disentangled  myself  from 
them  while  in  that  position. 

After  having  completely  disrobed  I  took  the 
bath  of  the  temperature  of  milk  that  Nannette 
is  accustomed  to  administer  to  me,  inserted 
myself  in  the  very  lovely  '  wedding '  garments 
for  sleeping  that  Mr.  G.  Slade  had  so  admired, 
and  sank  into  deep  slumber  upon  the  large  bed 
with  a  silk  covering  beflowered  like  the  skirt 
of  a  lady's  dress  upon  me. 

'  Well,  well,  you  young  sleepyhead,  up  and 
into  your  clothes,  sir.  We  are  late  for  the 
Capitol  now,"  were  the  words  I  heard  in  what 
seemed  almost  the  first  moment  after  I  had 
closed  my  eyes.  Behold,  my  Uncle,  the  General 
Robert,  fully  dressed,  stood  beside  the  bed  and  a 
morning  sun  was  shining  through  the  windows. 
I  had  slept  through  a  long  night  like  a  small 
child  upon  the  bosom  of  the  bed  of  my  beau- 


128  The  Daredevil 

tiful  Grandmamma  who  smiled  down  upon  me. 

"  Oh,  my  Uncle  Robert,  how  much  time  is  it 
that  I  have  to  make  my  toilet?"  I  begged  of 
him  as  I  sat  up  and  made  a  rubbing  of  my 
eyes. 

''  Less  than  an  hour,  sir,  to  get  out  of  that 
heathenish  toggery  that  the  men  of  your  genera 
tion  have  substituted  for  the  honest  nightshirt, 
into  proper  garments,  and  eat  your  breakfast. 
I'll  call  you  when  I  am  ready  to  go." 

It  was  very  little  more  than  the  hour  my 
Uncle,  the  General  Robert,  had  given  to  me,  that 
I  consumed  in  the  accomplishment  of  a  very 
difficult  toilet  in  a  suit  of  very  beautiful  brown 
cheviot  which  the  good  man  in  New  York  from 
whom  I  had  procured  it  had  said  to  be  for  very 
especial  morning  wear.  To  my  good  Kizzie  I 
gave  a  great  uneasiness  that  I  did  not  consume 
the  very  elaborate  meal  that  resembled  a  dinner, 
which  she  had  ready  for  the  Bonbon  to  serve 
to  me,  and  desired  only  a  cup  of  her  coffee  and 
two  very  small  pieces  of  white  bread  called 
biscuits. 

"  All  the  Carruthers  men  folks  is  friends 
with  their  food,  they  is,"  she  admonished  me. 


In  the  Dress  of  Magnificence     129 

"  At  luncheon,  my  Kizzie,  just  watch  me," 
I  said  to  her  in  nice  United  States  words  as  I 
departed  with  my  Uncle,  the  General  Robert,  to 
the  Capitol  of  the  State  of  Harpeth,  which  is  a 
tall  building  set  on  an  equally  tall  hill. 

I  found  much  business  awaiting  me  in  the 
form  of  making  a  correct  translation  of  all  of 
the  letters  in  a  very  large  portfolio,  all  of  which 
were  pertaining  to  that  very  tiresome  animal, 
the  mule.  But  I  made  not  very  much  progress, 
for  a  very  large  number  of  gentlemen  came 
into  the  office  of  my  Uncle,  the  General  Robert, 
and  to  all  of  them  I  must  be  presented. 

In  fact,  in  all  of  what  remained  of  that  entire 
week,  for  most  of  my  moments  in  the  Capitol 
I  was  having  very  painful  shakes  of  the  hand 
given  to  me  and  receiving  assurances  of  my 
great  resemblance  to  my  honored  father. 

All  of  which  I  did  greatly  enjoy,  but  nothing 
was  of  so  much  pleasure  to  me  as  the  visits  I 
accomplished  into  the  office  of  that  Gouverneur 
Faulkner  with  messages  of  importance  from  my 
Uncle,  the  General  Robert. 

It  was  with  a  very  fine  and  cold  smile  of 
friendliness  that  he  at  first  received  me,  as  I 


130  The  Daredevil 

stood  with  humble  attention  before  his  desk 
upon  my  first  mission  to  him,  but  with  each 
message  I  perceived  that  the  stars  in  his  eyes, 
so  hid  beneath  his  brows,  shone  upon  me  with 
a  greater  interest. 

And  in  observing  the  many  heavy  burdens 
that  pressed  upon  his  strong  shoulders  until  at 
the  close  of  each  day  a  whiteness  was  over  his 
very  beautiful  face,  I  grew  to  desire  that  I 
could  make  some  little  things  for  him  easier.  I 
sought  to  so  do  and  I  discovered  that  it  was 
possible  to  beguile  many  very  heavy  persons  to 
tell  to  me  what  it  was  they  wished  to  impose 
upon  him. 

I  took  upon  a  long  ride  in  the  car  of  my 
Uncle,  the  General  Robert,  that  Road  Commis 
sioner,  who  was  making  a  trouble  for  my  Gouv- 
erneur  Faulkner  about  taking  much  money 
from  the  sum  that  he  desired  to  be  voted  for 
use  on  the  roads  of  the  State  of  Harpeth,  thus 
making  my  Gouverneur  Faulkner  not  beloved 
of  the  people  in  the  country  around  the  capital 
city,  and  when  I  returned  him  I  had  used  many 
beguilements  in  the  way  of  flattery  about  the 
superiority  of  the  roads  of  America  to  the  roads 


In  the  Dress  of  Magnificence     131 

of  all  of  the  world,  and  had  also  jolted  him  to 
such  an  extent  that  he  did  write  a  nice  letter  to 
my  Gouverneur  Faulkner  asking  that  that 
money  be  not  voted  less  but  even  more,  so 
as  to  "  beat  out  the  world  with  the  roads  of 
Harpeth." 

"  Good  boy,"  was  the  reward  that  I  got  from 
my  Gouverneur  Faulkner  for  that  feat,  and  a 
smile  that  was  of  such  a  loveliness  that  it  lasted 
me  all  of  the  day. 

Also  I  made  a  hard  work  for  myself  in  sav 
ing  that  Gouverneur  Faulkner  by  much  flattery 
from  a  large  lady  who  was  anxious  that  he 
sign  a  paper  by  which  all  women  might  vote 
that  no  more  whiskey  for  mint  julep  should 
exist.  I  very  willingly  put  the  name  of  Mr. 
Robert  Carruthers  to  the  paper,  for  I  do  not 
like  those  juleps,  and  I  persuaded  the  nice  large 
lady  that  she  go  in  that  car  of  my  Uncle,  the 
General  Robert,  with  me  away  from  the  prox 
imity  to  my  chief,  the  Gouverneur  Faulkner, 
to  a  place  in  the  city  where  we  could  drink 
that  ice  cream  soda  water  that  I  do  so  love. 

That  lady  was  very  like  many  other  persons 
who  came  to  see  my  Gouverneur  and  whom  I 


132  The  Daredevil 

persuaded  to  make  me  much  exhaustion  instead 
of  him.  It  was  while  telling  him  of  the  lady 
and  the  two  very  delicious  soda  ice  creams 
that  he  very  suddenly  interrupted  me  with  a 
nice  smile  that  had  in  it  a  small  warmth  like 
the  first  glow  of  a  fire,  and  said: 

"  Robert,  I'm  going  to  ask  the  General  to 
lend  you  to  me  for  a  couple  of  weeks  while  I 
am  so  pressed.  Buzz  can  do  more  for  him  than 
you  do  and  —  and,  well,  just  looking  at  you 
and  hearing  you  tell  about  the  flies  you  brush 
from  my  wearied  brow,  rests  me.  Report  to 
me  to-morrow  instead  of  to  him.  I  know  it  will 
be  all  right,  for  he  really  needs  Buzz.  Now 
you  run  home  and  get  ready  for  one  great  time 
at  this  party  I'm  giving  to  you  to-night.  And, 
Robert,  remember  to  tell  me  everything  the 
flies  say,  translated  in  your  United  States." 

"  I  will  and  I  go,  my  Gouverneur  Faulkner," 
I  made  an  answer  to  him  with  a  laugh  in  which 
I  did  not  show  entirely  all  of  the  pleasure  I 
experienced  when  I  discovered  I  was  to  be  in 
the  place  of  his  secretary,  that  fine  Buzz 
Clendenning. 

And  with  much  haste  I  took  my  departure 


In  the  Dress  of  Magnificence     133 

from  the  Capitol  of  the  State  of  Harpeth  to 
Twin  Oaks  in  the  car  of  my  Uncle,  the  General 
Robert,  for  I  knew  that  upon  this  evening  1 
must  make  a  new  and  terrible  toilet  and  I  would 
require  much  time  thereto. 

The  good  old  Nannette  and  my  Governess 
Madam  Fournet  have  always  taught  me  that 
the  art  of  a  lovely  woman's  toilet  could  not 
be  performed  in  less  than  two  hours,  and  I 
felt  that  I  had  better  begin  in  the  way  to  which 
I  was  accustomed  and  go  as  far  as  I  could  in 
that  direction,  then  finish  in  the  manly  manner 
which  would  now  be  of  a  necessity  to  me. 

The  good  Bonbon,  whom  I  now  know  is  called 
Sam,  had  laid  out  my  evening  apparel,  from  the 
queer  dancing  shoes  with  flat  heels  to  a  very 
stiff  and  high  collar,  upon  a  couch  in  the  huge 
room,  and  after  my  bath  I  began  to  put  them 
upon  me  with  as  much  rapidity  as  was  possible 
to  me.  For  a  few  moments  all  went  well,  even 
up  to  having  tucked  the  fine  and  very  stiff  white 
linen  shirt  garment  into  the  silky  black  cloth 
trousers,  but  a  trouble  arose  when  I  put  upon 
myself  the  beautiful  long  coat  that  is  in  the 
shape  of  a  raven,  which  the  American  gentle- 


134  The  Daredevil 

man  wears  for  evening  toilet.  My  shoulders 
were  sufficiently  broad  to  hold  it  nicely  in  place 
and  it  fell  with  a  gracefulness  upon  my  hips, 
but  at  my  waist  it  collapsed  on  account  of  a 
slimness  in  that  locality.  The  fit  of  the  tweed, 
which  had  been  like  to  that  of  a  bag,  had  been 
very  correct  and  had  not  revealed  the  curve  of 
waist,  but  now  it  was  manifest. 

"  What  is  it  that  you  must  do,  Roberta,  to 
disguise  your  roundness  of  a  young  woman? 
All  is  lost!"  I  said  to  myself  in  despair.  Then 
a  thought  came  to  me.  I  had  never  been  hab 
ited  in  a  corset  in  my  life  on  account  of  a 
prejudice  entertained  to  that  garment  by  my 
Nannette,  but  I  bethought  me  to  remove  that 
shirt  and  also  the  silk  one  underneath  and 
swath  about  me  one  of  the  heavy  towels  of  the 
bath.  Immediately  I  did  so  and  fastened  it  in 
place  with  a  needle  and  thread  from  the  gentle 
man's  traveling  case  that  I  found  in  the  pocket 
of  my  bag.  Over  it  I  then  drew  the  silk  under 
shirt  and  then  that  of  fine  linen,  before  again 
putting  myself  into  the  black  raven's  dress. 
Behold,  all  roundness  and  slimness  had  dis 
appeared  and  when  the  collar  was  added  I 


In  the  Dress  of  Magnificence     135 

could  see  that  I  was  as  beautifully  habited  as 
either  Mr.  Peter  Scudder  or  that  Mr.  Saint 
Louis  of  the  boat. 

'''  Roberta  of  Grez  and  Bye,"  I  said  to  myself 
as  I  looked  into  the  tall  mirror,  "  it  is  indeed 
a  sorrow  to  you  that  you  cannot  make  your 
courtesy  to  that  Gouverneur  Faulkner  habited 
in  the  white  lace  and  tulle  garment  that  is  in 
those  trunks  which  you  have  lost  in  that  New 
York,  with  your  throat  that  your  Russian  Cos 
sack  has  said  was  like  a  lily  at  the  blush  of 
dawn,  bare  to  his  eyes,  but  you  are  a  nice,  clean, 
upstanding  American  boy  who  can  be  his  friend. 
You  must  be  and  you  must  play  the  game." 

And  in  the  language  of  that  Mr.  Willie  Saint 
Louis,  it  was  "  some  game." 


CHAPTER  IX 

"  O'ER  THE  LAND  OF  THE  FREE  —  " 

I  have  a  desire  to  know  if  it  is  into  the  life 
of  every  person  there  comes  one  night  which 
he  is  never  to  forget  until  death  and  perhaps 
even  after.  I  do  not  know ;  but  I  am  sure  that  I 
shall  always  keep  the  memory  of  the  night  upon 
which  Mr.  Robert  Carruthers  of  Grez  and  Bye 
was  introduced  to  the  friends  of  his  ancestors. 
It  is  my  jewel  that  seems  a  drop  of  heart's 
blood  that  I  will  wear  forever  hid  in  my  breast. 

At  dinner  I  sat  beside  the  Gouverneur  Wil 
liamson  Faulkner  and  tears  came  into  my  eyes 
as  he  rose  from  beside  me  at  the  head  of  the 
table  and  said: 

"  Ladies  and  gentlemen,  I  ask  you  to  drink 
to  the  homecoming  of  Robert  Carruthers,  my 
friend,  your  friend,  and  everybody  his  friends." 

And  from  that  long  table  there  came  to  me 
such  beautiful  and  loving  smiles  over  the  glasses 

136 


"O'er  the  Land  of  the  Free-       137 

of  champagne  that  they  went  to  my  head  instead 
of  the  wine  I  could  not  even  sip  because  of  the 
tears  in  my  throat.  It  was  as  that  day  upon 
the  great  ship  when  I  saw  fulfilled  before  my 
eyes  my  vow  to  my  Capitaine,  the  Count  de 
Lasselles:  "Friends  for  France."  I  sat  still 
for  a  long  minute ;  then  I  rose  to  my  feet  with 
my  glass  in  my  hand. 

"  I  cannot  make  to  you  a  speech,  but  I  beg 
that  I  may  say  to  you  words  that  were  of  the 
first  taught  to  my  infant  tongue  and  which  I 
last  repeated  in  an  old  convent  close  to  the 
trenches  in  France." 

Then  in  the  rich  voice  which  has  come  to  me 
from  the  deep  singing  of  my  mother  I  repeated 
very  quietly: 

"  Oh  —  say,   can   you   see,   by   the   dawn's 

early  light, 
What  so  proudly  we  hailed  at  the  twilight's 

last  gleaming; 
Whose  broad  stripes  and  bright  stars,  thro* 

the  perilous  fight, 
O'er   the   ramparts   we   watched,   were   so 

gallantly  streaming? 


138  The  Daredevil 

And    the    rocket's    red    glare,    the    bombs 

bursting  in  air, 
Gave  proof  thro'  the  night  that  our  flag 

was  still  there " 

through  to  the  last  words  which  had  fallen  from 
my  lips  as  I  had  taken  my  father's  dying  kiss : 

"  O'er  the  land  of  the  free 

and  the  home  of  the  brave." 

Though  I  had  not  told  them  of  it,  I  do  believe 
there  was  not  a  heart  among  those  kind  people 
which  did  not  know  of  that  last  moment  in  the 
old  convent  and  I  could  see  it  in  tears  dashed 
aside  as  they  all  rose  and  sang  the  last  strain 
of  the  American  song,  with  the  musicians  in  the 
anteroom  leading  them. 

And  as  they  sang  that  most  wonderful  song, 
Gouverneur  Faulkner  laid  his  arm  across  my 
shoulder,  and  the  comfort  of  its  strength  gave 
to  me  the  courage  to  send  back  all  the  smiles 
that  were  sent  to  me,  as  that  funny  Mr.  Buzz 
Clendenning  said  while  they  seated  themselves: 

"  Gee,  but  L'Aiglon  is  the  real  un-hyphenated 
brand  of  old  Uncle  Sam,  Jr." 


"O'er  the  Land  of  the  Free-       139 

'  Thank  God  that  firebrand  isn't  a  girl,"  I 
heard  my  Uncle,  the  General  Robert,  say  to 
most  lovely  Mademoiselle  Susan,  in  a  corn- 
colored  gown  of  fine  line,  who  sat  at  his  side. 

"  I'm  so  grateful  to  you,  General,  that  he  is 
a  boy,"  I  heard  her  say  in  the  deepest  respect 
and  regard  for  my  Uncle,  the  General  Robert. 

"  I  don't  doubt  at  all,  Madam,  that  you  will 
succeed  in  making  me  wish  that  he  had  been 
born  a  girl  or  not  at  all,"  was  the  kind  reply 
that  he  made  to  her  nicely  spoken  gratitude  as 
we  laughed  into  each  other's  eyes  across  the 
table. 

"  I  hope  so,"  was  the  answer  with  which 
Mademoiselle  Sue  comforted  him. 

"  And  now  what  have  you  to  say  to  me,  boy, 
the  oldest  friend  you've  got  in  America,  who 
hasn't  seen  you  for  days  —  that  have  been  too 
long,"  said  that  Madam  Whitworth,  who  was 
seated  at  my  side,  and  as  she  spoke  she  turned 
one  lovely  bare  shoulder  in  the  direction  of  my 
Uncle,  the  General  Robert,  and  the  beautiful 
Mademoiselle  Sue  and  also  Buzz,  as  if  to  shut 
them  away  from  her  and  me  in  a  little  space 
of  world  just  for  two  people. 


140  The  Daredevil 

"  I  can  say  with  truth,  Madam,  that  your 
loveliness  to-night  is  but  the  flowering  of  my 
suspicions  of  it  that  morning  upon  the  railroad 
train,"  I  answered  her  in  words  that  were  a 
very  nice  translation  of  what  that  fine  young 
Cossack  had  once  said  to  me  at  the  Chateau 
de  Grez  of  my  own  flowering  into  rose  chiffon 
after  an  afternoon's  hunting  with  him  in  cordu 
roys.  And  in  truth  I  spoke  no  falsehood  to  that 
Madam  Whitworth,  for  she  was  of  a  very  gr^at 
beauty  of  body,  very  much  of  which  was  in 
view  from  a  scantiness  of  bodice  that  I  had 
never  seen  excelled  in  any  ballroom  in  France. 

"  I  knew  you  for  a  poet  from  that  adorable 
black  mop  which  I  see  you  have  very  nicely 
plastered  in  an  exact  imitation  of  Buzz  Clenden- 
ning's  red  one,"  she  answered  me  with  a  laugh. 
"  Follow  me  from  the  ballroom  just  after  supper 
at  midnight  for  a  half  hour's  chat  alone  in  a 
place  I  know;  and  don't  let  either  the  General 
or  the  Governor  see  you,"  she  then  said  in  an 
undertone  as  the  Gouverneur  Faulkner  bent  for 
ward  and  began  a  laughing  conversation  with 
her. 

"  I  will,"   I  answered  her  under  my  breath, 


"O'er  the  Land  of  the  Free-       141 

and  I  leaned  back  in  my  chair  so  that  the  Gouv- 
crneur  Faulkner  could  more  conveniently  con 
verse  with  her.  And  to  that  end  he  placed  his 
arm  across  the  back  of  my  chair,  and  thus  I  sat 
in  his  embrace  with  my  si.  ulder  pressed 
into  his. 

I  do  not  know  exactly  what  it  \vas  that  hap 
pened  in  the  depths  of  me,  but  suddenly  the 
daredevil  rose  from  those  depths  and  knew  her 
self  for  a  very  strong  woman  filled  to  the  brim 
wath  a  primitive,  savage  cunning  with  which  to 
fight  the  beautiful  woman  at  my  side  for  the 
honor  of  the  man  whose  strong  heart  I  could 
feel  beating  against  my  woman's  breast  strapped 
down  under  its  garment  of  man's  attire.  And 
that  cunning  showed  me  that  I  would  have  a 
hundredfold  better  opportunity  to  do  her  and 
her  schemes  against  him  and  against  France  to 
the  death  in  my  garments  and  character  of  a 
man,  than  I  could  have  had  if  I  had  come  into 
his  and  her  world  as  the  beautiful  young 
Roberta,  Marquise  of  Grez  and  Bye.  Then  for 
those  hated  garments  of  a  raven  my  heart  beat 
so  high  with  gratitude  that  I  moved  again  for 
ward  from  the  arm  of  His  Excellency  for  fear 


142  The  Daredevil 

that  he  might  feel  the  tumult  even  through  that 
strong  towel  of  the  bath  which  I  had  sewed 
above  it,  and  be  in  wonderment  as  to  its  cause. 

"  Here's  to  your  first  duel  with  a  woman  in 
which  you  use  a  man's  weapons,  Roberta,  Mar 
quise  of  Grez  and  Bye,  and  see  that  you  score 
—  for  him  —  and  for  France !  "  I  said  to  myself 
as  we  rose  from  the  table  and  with  the  other 
men  I  bowed  the  ladies  from  the  room. 

"  At  midnight,"  I  whispered  while  I  bent  for 
a  second  to  kiss  the  hand  of  the  beautiful 
Madam  Whitworth  as  she  left  the  room.  As  I 
raised  my  head  from  the  salutation  I  encoun 
tered  the  eyes  of  the  Gouverneur  Faulkner, 
which  looked  into  mine  with  an  expression  of 
calm  question.  And  for  a  moment  I  let  the 
woman  rise  superior  to  the  raven  attire  and  I 
looked  back  into  those  eyes,  in  which  I  saw  the 
mystery  of  the  dawn  star,  as  would  have  gazed 
Roberta,  Marquise  of  Grez  and  Bye,  had  she 
been  attired  in  the  white  tulle  and  lace  aban 
doned  in  that  New  York;  then  I  beat  her  back 
down  into  my  heart  and  gave  him  the  smile  of 
fealty  that  was  his  due  from  Robert  Carruthers, 
his  friend,  along  with  one  similar,  to  the  fine 


"O'er  the  Land  of  the  Free-       143 

young  Buzz  Clendenning,  who  at  that  moment 
came  to  my  side  and  claimed  my  attention. 

"  You  score  with  Sue.  I'm  to  be  the  gracious 
little  home  city  host  and  give  up  any  dances 
your  Marquisity  may  choose  with  her.  Sue 
foxes  like  she  was  born  in  a  fox  hole  under 
a  hollow  log,  but  she  tangoes  like  the  original 
Emperor  Tang  himself,  so  go  ahead  and  suit 
yourself.  Don't  mind  me.  I'm  the  loving  little 
playmate." 

"  That  Mademoiselle  Sue  is  so  much  of  a 
peach  that  I  am  inclined  to  request  the  recep 
tacle  of  cream  that  I  may  devour  her,"  I  then 
made  answer  to  him  in  as  many  of  the  words 
of  enthusiasm  over  a  nice  lady  as  I  could 
remember  that  Mr.  George  Slade  of  Detroit  to 
have  used  over  the  "  skirt  "  in  Louisville  in  the 
Country  of  Kentucky. 

"  Good,  Bobby!  I'll  have  to  go  tell  Sue  that 
before  she  is  two  minutes  older.  I  wouldn't  want 
her  to  live  five  minutes  longer  without  having 
heard  it.  Sue's  dead  sure  to  tell  the  rest  of 
the  girl  bunch,  so  I  hope  you  have  a  supply 
where  that  came  from,  for  they'll  all  cry  for 
'em.  There's  the  Governor  making  towards  the 


144  The  Daredevil 

door  and  Mrs.  Pat,  who  is  always  waiting  at 
the  gate  for  him,  so  come,  let  me  lead  you  to  the 
dance."  With  which  my  nice  Buzz  and  I  fol 
lowed  the  Gouverneur  Faulkner  and  the  other 
gentlemen  across  the  hall  into  the  long  salon  of 
the  Mansion,  whose  floors  were  polished  like 
unto  a  lake  of  ice,  for  dancing. 

In  Touraine  it  is  said  that  a  nice  lady  fairy 
comes  for  a  visit  of  inspection  at  the  berceau  - 
in  America  it  is  cradle  —  of  each  small  human 
that  is  born,  and  gives  to  it  a  beautiful  gift  if 
propitiations  are  made  for  it  to  please  her.  To 
that  end  sweetmeats  and  nice  presents  are 
placed  beside  the  small  infant  with  which  to 
beguile  the  good  opinion  of  that  fairy.  I  would 
I  could  be  that  exalted  person  and  able  to  visit 
every  small  infant  born  a  female  in  all  of  the 
world.  And  the  gift  I  would  give  to  her,  there 
in  her  sleep,  would  be  to  one  time  in  her  life 
attend  a  ball  in  the  raven  attire  of  a  man  in  the 
city  of  Hayesville  of  America.  I  could  bestow 
no  greater  gift. 

The  hours  that  followed  my  entry  into  the 
ballroom  in  the  Mansion  of  the  exalted  Gouver 
neur  Faulkner  were  like  minutes  of  time  that 


"O'er  the  Land  of  the  Free-        145 

dropped  from  a  golden  clock  of  joy.  I  danced 
on  feet  that  were  strong  wings  to  glide  over  a 
floor  that  was  a  many  colored  cloud  from  the 
reflection  of  the  soft  lights  and  the  silken  skirts 
which  ruffled  over  it.  And,  what  was  most 
enjoyable  to  me  in  this  case,  I  glided  in  what 
ever  direction  pleased  me  and  took  with  me  the 
armful  of  cloud,  which  was  the  girl  with  whom 
I  was  dancing,  on  long  swoops  of  my  own  will, 
instead  of  being  led  in  my  flights  by  another 
as  had  always  before  been  the  case  with  my 
dancing.  It  was  the  most  of  a  joy  that  I  had 
ever  experienced.  And  as  I  so  enjoyed  that 
freedom  I  did  not  know  how  it  was  that  I  should 
have  such  a  feeling  of  dissatisfaction  when  I 
beheld  that  beautiful  Madam  Whitworth 
dancing  within  the  arms  of  the  Gouverneur 
Williamson  Faulkner.  I  blushed  that  I  should 
be  so  unworthy,  with  such  an  unreasonable 
fury  in  my  heart,  and  I  looked  away  so  that 
I  seemed  not  to  see  the  smile  that  he  sent  to 
me  over  the  head  of  the  very  sweet  Belle  girl 
in  blue  ruffles  and  silver  slippers  I  was  guiding 
past  him  in  the  trot  of  a  fox. 

"  Yes,  Sue  Tomlinson  is  as  lovely  as  a  ripe 


146  The  Daredevil 

peach,  isn't  she?"  asked  Mademoiselle  Blue 
Cloud  of  me  as  I  lowered  her  almost  to  the 
floor  over  my  arm,  slid  her  four  steps  to  the 
left  then  trotted  her  two  back  and  two  forward; 
and  her  tone  had  a  very  sweet  demand  of  wist- 
fulness  in  it  as  she  looked  up  into  my  eyes  and 
pressed  very  close  to  that  protecting  towel  of 
the  bath. 

For  an  instant  I  could  not  think  of  one  single 
bonbon  of  compliment  to  offer  the  lady  and  I 
wished  I  had  sat  up  all  of  the  night  to  talk  to 
that  Mr.  G.  Slade  of  Detroit  in  the  railroad 
train  and  had  had  my  nice  gray  lady  friend  in 
the  Ritz-Carlton  there  with  her  notebook  to 
transcribe  the  many  pleasing  things  he  reported 
himself  to  have  said  to  the  ladies  whom  he  called 
"  skirts."  Then  nice  Lord  Chisholm  came  all 
the  way  from  England  into  my  memory  to  assist 
me  in  my  difficulty.  I  translated  from  him 
freely  in  this  manner: 

"  Aw,  on  me  word,  you  are  a  ripping  good 
sort  and  T  could  take  you  on  for  the  whole 
evening  if  you'd  let  me.  What?" 

"  I  wish  I  could,"  she  answered  and  by  that 
time  I  had  thought  out  a  nice  little  squeeze  for 


"O'er  the  Land  of  the  Free—"    147 

her  very  pretty  waist  in  its  silver  girdle  under 
my  arm.  Then  I  had  to  put  her  into  the  arms 
of  a  nice  young  man  named  Miles  Menefee.  To 
get  my  breath  and  to  think  up  some  more  of 
the  compliments  that  had  been  given  to  me  for 
my  pleasure  in  the  past,  I  made  my  retreat 
behind  a  very  large  palm  that  was  in  the  corner 
of  the  room,  and  out  upon  a  wide  balcony  which 
hung  over  a  moonlit  garden  across  which  I 
could  see  dim  hills  in  the  moonlight. 

"  Girls  of  all  nations  are  granddaughters  of 
the  same  Monsieur  Satan,  I  suspect,"  I  made 
remark  to  myself  as  I  inhaled  the  perfume  of 
the  flower  garments  of  the  spring  garden  below. 
"  I  must  take  a  great  care  that  I  do  not  —  " 

"  And  then,  boy,  you'll  slip  on  the  thin  ice 
when  you  least  expect  it,"  came  in  the  deep 
voice  of  the  Gouverneur  Faulkner  from  a 
shadow  at  my  elbow.  "  I  sometimes  think  that 
they  love  us  just  to  double-cross  our  life's 
ambitions,  but  don't  you  begin  to  suspect  that 
for  years  to  come." 

"  A  man's  life  must  be  rooted  in  the  heart 
of  a  woman  if  it  would  bear  fruit,  Monsieur  le 
Gouverneur,"  I  found  myself  saying  as  in  the 


148  The  Daredevil 

person  of  the  Roberta,  Marquise  of  Grez  and 
Bye,  I  drew  myself  to  my  full  height  with  pride 
in  defense  of  my  own  sex.  "  A  man  doubts  that 
to  his  own  dishonor." 

"  Yes,  but  it  must  be  a  pure  heart  that 
nourishes  a  man  to  his  full  fruitage  —  and,  boy, 
don't  you  take  even  a  sip  —  until  you  are  sure 
there  are  such  founts  of  refreshment." 

"  I  would  that  you  could  look  into  my  heart, 
my  Gouverneur  Faulkner,"  I  said  as  I  raised 
my  hand  and  laid  it  against  the  raven  garment 
that  covered  my  soft  breast  that  was  rent  with 
pain  at  the  sadness  of  his  voice  and  his  deep 
eyes.  "  There  you  would  see  the  heart  of 
one  — "  Suddenly  I  stopped  in  the  deepest 
dismay  and  the  daredevil  quaked  in  her  trousers. 

"  I  would  probably  see  the  heart  of  —  shall 
I  say,  Galahad  Junior?  God  bless  you,  boy, 
you  are  refreshing."  And  he  laughed  as  he  laid 
his  strong  hands  on  my  shoulder  and  gave  to 
me  a  good  shake. 

"  Are  you  my  comrade  Launcelot  ?  "  I  asked 
him  with  a  sudden  fierce  pain  again  in  my 
breast  under  the  raven  coat  at  the  thought  of 
what  that  Queen  of  the  yellow  hair  had  done 


"O'er  the  Land  of  the  Free-       149 

to  that  brave  Knight  of  the  Round  Table  of 
King  Arthur. 

"  I  don't  think  I'll  answer  your  —  your  im 
pertinence,  boy.  Just  keep  foxing  with  Sue 
and  Belle  and  the  rest  of  the  posy  girls  and  — 
and  keep  away  from  the  pools  —  of  —  of  other 
eyes."  And  after  another  shaking  he  turned 
me  towards  the  door  of  that  ballroom  of  lights 
and  music. 

At  the  command  of  the  Gouverneur  Faulk 
ner  there  was  nothing  I  could  do  but  go  back 
to  the  ballroom  and  to  float  for  more  minutes 
in  the  land  of  cloud  with  the  "  girl  bunch,"  as 
my  friend  that  Buzz  has  named  them;  but  at 
supper  I  took  my  seat  at  the  table  with  that 
beautiful  Madam  Whitworth  and  her  husband 
of  the  very  drooping  black  mustache  and  eyes 
that  looked  at  all  places  except  into  those  of  the 
person  addressing  him.  And  at  that  moment  I 
made  this  resolve  to  myself :  '  That  Gouver 
neur  Launcelot  may  ride  far  out  of  the  white 
road,  but  I  intend  to  run  at  his  stirrup."  And  I 
found  that  it  required  swift  running,  for  the 
road  led  —  shall  I  say  —  into  "  tall  timbers." 

It  is  with  a  burning  of  countenance  that  arises 


150  The  Daredevil 

from  a  hot  shame,  which  I  do  not  even  to  this 
moment  exactly  understand,  that  I  recall  to  my 
mind  that  half  hour  which  Mr.  Robert  Car- 
ruthers  of  Grez  and  Bye  spent  with  the  beautiful 
Madam  Patricia  Whitworth  in  one  of  the  deep 
windows  that  looked  from  the  private  study  of 
His  Excellency  of  the  State  of  Harpeth,  over 
into  the  great  hills  that  surround  the  city. 
Things  happened  in  this  wise:  That  Madam 
Whitworth  made  the  commencement  of  our  duel 
of  intelligences  by  assuming  that  I  was  a  simple 
French  infant  before  whom  she  could  dangle 
the  very  sweet  bonbon  of  affection  and  take 
away  from  it  a  treasure  that  it  held  in  the 
hollow  of  its  hand  as  a  sacred  trust.  That 
Madam  Whitworth  did  not  realize  that  instead 
of  a  very  small  young  boy  from  gay  Paris, 
whose  eyes  were  closed  like  those  of  a  very 
young  cat,  she  was  dealing  with  the  very 
wicked  girl  who  placed  the  word  "  devil  "  behind 
the  word  "  dare,"  speaking  in  the  language  of 
that  Mr.  Willie  Saint  Louis  when  he  informed 
me  that  he  was  the  man  who  had  so  placed  the 
"  go  "  behind  Chicago  while  on  a  visit  to  that 
city.  I  was  that  girl. 


CHAPTER  X 

VITRIOL  AND  THE  HOODOO 

"  I  suppose  it  is  absurd  for  a  staid  old  matron 
like  myself  to  be  jealous,  really  jealous,  at 
seeing  a  child  like  you  being  consumed  alive  by 
a  lot  of  simpering  misses  in  pink  and  blue 
chiffon  pinafores,  who  ought  to  be  in  their 
nursery  cots  asleep,  but  I  have  been  and  am, 
boy.  Did  you  forget  that  I  was  your  oldest 
friend  while  Sue  Tomlinson  fed  you  sweets  out 
of  her  hand?"  And  as  she  spoke  she  seated 
herself  in  the  exact  center  of  the  window  seat 
and  motioned  me  to  place  myself  in  the  portion 
of  the  left  side  that  remained.  I  inserted 
myself  into  the  space  that  was  so  indicated 
and  laid  my  arm  along  the  window  ledge  behind 
her  very  much  undressed  back,  so  that  I  might 
give  to  my  lungs  space  to  expand  for  air.  I 
think  that  arrangement  made  very  much  for 
the  comfort  of  the  beautiful  Madam  Patricia, 

151 


152  The  Daredevil 

for  she  immediately  appropriated  that  arm  as  a 
cushion  for  her  undraped  shoulders.  We  being 
thus  comfortably  wedged,  the  warfare  began. 

"  All  week  I've  been  thinking  about  you,  you 
wonderful  boy,  and  wondering  just  what  you 
have  been  doing  and  what  has  been  doing  to 
you.  The  General  is  so  —  so  incomprehensible 
in  his  attitude  towards  you  and  yours.  All  these 
years  he  has  been "  —  and  as  she  spoke  she 
looked  up  into  my  eyes  and  pressed  slightly 
towards  me  —  "  uncompromising,  hasn't  he?  " 

1  Yes,  Madam,  I  do  find  my  Uncle,  the 
General  Robert,  to  be,  as  you  say,  uncompromis 
ing,"  I  answered  as  I  looked  down  at  her  with 
a  smile.  "  But  you  are  not  like  that,  are  you, 
beautiful  Madam  Whitworth?  You  will  com 
promise  yourself,  will  you  not  ?  " 

''  Don't  use  English  words  so  carelessly,  my 
dear,  until  you  are  less  ignorant  of  their  mean 
ing,"  she  reproved  me  as  she  sat  erect  and  gave 
to  my  lungs  an  inch  more  breathing  space.  I 
had  heard  that  large  lady  of  the  State  of  Cin 
cinnati  on  the  ship  say  that  a  nice  lady  from  a 
place  called  Kansas,  and  whom  everyone  gave 
the  title  of  Mrs.  Grass  because  of  a  disagreeable 


Vitriol  and  the  Hoodoo          153 

husband  who  was  not  dead,  "  compromised " 
herself  with  a  very  much  drinking  gentleman 
from  Boston  because  she  sat  in  a  small  space 
with  him  behind  the  chimney  for  smoke  from 
the  engine,  and  I  thought  it  was  a  nice  word 
to  fit  into  the  conversation  with  Madam  Whit- 
worth  at  that  time.  And  I  think  it  did  fit 
better  than  I  had  quite  intended  that  it  should. 
I  saw  offense  and  I  hastened  to  make  a  peace  so 
that  I  should  learn  all  that  I  wanted  to  know 
from  her  while  letting  her  learn  all  that  I  did 
not  know  from  me. 

''  I  beg  that  you  pardon  me,  beautiful  Madam, 
and  teach  me  the  English  words  to  say  that  will 
express  all  of  —  of  the  most  wonderful  things 
that  I  think  of  you.  What  is  the  one  word 
that  expresses  the  beauty  of  the  blue  flowers  in 
crystal  that  I  said  your  eyes  to  be,  to  myself, 
the  first  time  I  looked  into  them  upon  that 
railroad  train  when  you  rescued  me  from  the 
black  taffeta  lady?"  And  as  I  was  at  that 
moment  speaking  the  exact  truth  I  spoke  with 
a  great  ardor. 

"  I  rather  think  that  offsets  Sue  Tomlinson's 
'  cream  jug  '  compliment  —  and  you  are  a  dear," 


154  The  Daredevil 

she  answered  as  she  again  diminished 
the  space  for  my  lung  action.  "  I  hear  the 
dear  General  has  turned  you  over  to  the  Gov 
ernor  completely.  What  do  you  think  of  him  ?  " 
she  asked  as  if  to  manufacture  conversation. 

'  Yes,  I  was  made  a  gift  to  him  last  week, 
and  I  do  not  think  very  much  of  that 
Gouverneur,"  I  made  answer  with  excellent 
falseness,  because  I  had  had  no  thoughts  since 
my  presentation  to  that  Gouverneur  Faulkner 
that  were  not  of  him.  I  had  obtained  the 
uncomplimentary  remark  upon  the  ship,  from 
the  lady  of  Cincinnati,  who  said  it  about  the 
doctor  of  the  seasickness  from  which  she 
suffered. 

''  Between  you  and  me,  boy  —  if  anything, 
even  an  opinion,  can  be  wedged  between  us  — 
I  think  the  Governor  is  a  great,  overrated  stupid, 
encouraged  in  his  denseness  by  the  dear  Gen 
eral  whose  ideas  have  —  have  —  er  —  rather 
solidified  with  age.  I  rather  pity  you  for  having 
to  have  all  of  your  opinions  and  policies  of  life 
moulded  by  them.  Yes,  it  is  a  pity."  And  she 
sighed  very  near  to  my  cheek. 

"  Will  you  not  mould  me  to  some  extent  your- 


Vitriol  and  the  Hoodoo          155 

self,  beautiful  flower-eyed  Madam?  "  I  asked  of 
her  with  great  gentleness,  and  did  administer 
a  nice  little  pressure  to  her  shoulders  like  I  had 
adventured  upon  the  waist  of  the  beautiful  Belle 
in  blue  and  silver  dress  which  Madam  Whit- 
worth  had  named  a  pinafore. 

'  You  are  a  perfect  dear,  and  I  will  help  you 
all  I  can.  Just  come  and  tell  me  all  of  your 
difficulties  and  I'll  try  and  smooth  them  away 
for  you.  I  suppose  you  will  find  it  easy  to 
translate  their  French  documents  for  them  about 
this  very  boring  mule  deal.  I  have  had  to  do  it 
and  I  am  glad  to  turn  the  burden  of  it  all  over 
to  you.  You  may  have  some  trouble  with  the 
English  technicalities  and  perhaps  you  had  best 
bring  them  in  to  me  and  I'll  run  over  them  to  see 
that  you  get  them  straight.  Only  don't  let  the 
General  know  that  I  am  helping  you,  for  I 
verily  believe  the  old  dear  thinks  I  am  a  nihilist 
ready  to  blow  the  Governor  or  any  of  his  other 
old  mules  into  a  thousand  bits." 

"  I  thank  you,  beautiful  Madam  Whitworth, 
for  your  offer  of  assistance,  and  I  will  avail 
myself  of  it  at  the  first  opportunity.  Is  it  at 
your  house  that  we  can  be  alone?  "  I  questioned 


156  The  Daredevil 

with  a  daring  smile  that  would  serve  both  for 
a  purpose  of  coquetry  and  also  to  ascertain  if 
I  would  encounter  in  a  call  upon  her  that  very 
disagreeable  appearing  gentleman,  Mr.  Jeffer 
son  Whitworth,  who  is  the  husband  to  his  very 
beautiful  wife. 

"  Come  any  afternoon  at  four  o'clock  and 
telephone  me  before  you  come  so  that  I  can  get 
rid  of  anybody  who  happens  to  be  around.  And 
be  sure  to  bring  any  work  you  have  for  me  to 
help  you  with.  That's  the  only  way  I  can 
excuse  an  ancient  matron  like  myself  for  keep 
ing  you  even  for  a  few  minutes  away  from  the 
pinafores."  And  she  looked  into  my  eyes  with 
a  sigh  for  her  antiquity.  In  the  language  of 
that  Mr.  Willie  Saint  Louis  I  knew  it  was  "  up 
to  me,"  and  I  "  handed  the  dame  one." 

"  In  my  country,  beautiful  Madam,  the  fruit 
is  much  more  regarded  than  the  bud,"  is  what  I 
presented  to  her. 

"  You  are  delicious,"  she  laughed  as  she  again 
diminished  my  breathing  space.  "  I  cannot  see 
why  the  dear  General  has  been  so  violent  in  his 
prejudice  against  all  things  from  France.  You 
must  try  to  win  him  over,  especially  as  he  is 


Vitriol  and  the  Hoodoo          157 

letting  his  prejudice  to  France,  if  you  can  call 
downright  hatred  that,  stand  in  the  way  of  lend 
ing  his  aid  in  doing  a  great  service  to  your  poor, 
struggling,  brave  army,  while  at  the  same  time 
reaping  a  profit  to  his  own  State.  Has  he  told 
you  anything  of  this  mule  deal  he  is  forcing 
Governor  Faulkner  to  hold  up  on  some  others 
who  want  to  do  a  service  to  France?  "  As  she 
questioned  me,  the  beautiful  Madam's  eyes 
became  much  narrower  and  I  could  observe  that 
she  \vatched  me  with  intentness  for  any  sign  of 
intelligence.  I  gave  her  none. 

"  Will  you  not  tell  me,  my  Madam  of  the  blue 
flower  eyes,  about  all  of  the  matter?  It  will  be 
of  great  benefit  to  me  to  understand  it  all  from 
you,  for  my  Uncle  the  General  Robert  is  a  man 
of  few  words  and  I  am  not  a  man  of  much 
business  intelligence."  And  as  I  spoke  I 
regarded  her  with  a  great  and  beseeching 
humility. 

And  there,  in  the  Mansion  of  the  Gouverneur 
of  the  State  of  Harpeth  himself,  that  lovely 
woman  did  unfold  to  me  the  most  wonderful 
plan  for  the  most  enormous  robbery  of  both 
her  own  government  and  mine  —  or  should  I 


158  The  Daredevil 

say  of  both  of  my  governments?  —  that  it  could 
be  in  the  power  of  mortal  mind  to  conceive. 
It  was  a  beautiful,  reasonable,  generous,  patri 
otic,  sympathetic  drama  of  the  gigantic  war 
mule  and  it  had  only  one  tiny,  hidden  obscure 
line  in  one  of  its  verses,  but  in  that  line  lay  all  of 
dishonor  that  could  come  to  a  man  and  a  State 
who  should  allow  a  smaller  nation  fighting  for 
its  life  and  its  honor  to  be  defrauded  of  one  of 
the  supplies  which  were  of  a  deadly  necessity 
for  its  success.  I  think  I  even  saw  the  dastardly 
scheme  more  plainly  than  did  my  Uncle,  the 
General  Robert,  for  I  had  listened  with  more 
than  one  ear  while  my  Capitaine,  the  Count  de 
Lasselles,  explained  to  wee  Pierre  some  of  the 
details  of  supplying  the  army  of  the  Republique. 
I  think  he  had  talked  of  things  that  the  little 
one  could  not  understand  just  to  make  an  ease 
of  the  pressure  of  all  of  his  business  upon  his 
troubled  mind  and  breaking  heart.  And  as 
Madam  Whitworth  talked  I  could  hear  my 
Pierre's  brave  voice  as  he  always  gave  assur 
ances  to  his  sad  idol. 

"  All  of  plenty  is  in  America,  and  she  will 
give  to  France." 


Vitriol  and  the  Hoodoo          159 

And  here  sat  great  strong  Roberta,  the  Mar 
quise  of  Grez  and  Bye,  holding  in  the  hollow  of 
her  arm  a  beautiful  American  woman  who  had 
herself  contrived  a  monstrous  plan  to  let  a 
quantity  of  the  lifeblood  of  France  to  turn  into 
gold  for  her  own  vain  uses.  If  to  throttle  her 
then  and  there  with  my  bare  strong  hands  had 
insured  the  great  big  needful  mules  to  France, 
and  saved  the  honor  of  my  Gouverneur  of  the 
State  of  Harpeth,  and  my  Uncle,  the  General 
Robert,  I  think  I  might  have  had  a  great  temp 
tation  to  administer  that  death  to  her;  but 
instead  I  held  her  now  closer  in  my  arm  and 
I  began  to  plot  her  to  death  in  any  other  way 
I  could  discover,  so  that  her  intrigue  should 
die  with  her. 

"  Of  a  truth,  beautiful  Madam,  the  poor  old 
Uncle,  the  General  Robert,  must  not  be  allowed 
to  interfere  with  such  a  beautiful  plan  as  you 
have  for  supplying  those  very  fine  strong  mules 
from  the  State  of  Harpeth  to  poor  struggling 
France,  and  I  will  join  with  you  in  convincing 
the  stupid  Gouverneur  Faulkner  that  such  must 
not  be  the  case.  You  will  direct  me,  will  you 
not?  I  am  very  young  and  I  have  but  so  lately 


160  The  Daredevil 

come  to  this  land  that  I  do  not  know  —  I  do  not 
feel  exactly  what  you  call  at  home."  And  I 
spoke  again  with  beseeching  humility. 

'  We'll  do  it  for  France  together,  boy,"  she 
whispered  as  she  turned  in  my  arm  and  pressed 
herself  against  my  raven  attire  above  my  heart 
held  in  restraint  by  that  towel  of  the  bath. 
"  And  then  you  can  claim  from  me  any  — 
reward  —  you  —  " 

Just  at  this  lovely  moment,  when  the  beautiful 
Madam  Whitworth  had  thrown  herself  into  my 
arms  and  I  had  been  obliged  by  my  cunning  to 
hold  her  there  instead  of  flinging  her  to  the 
floor  as  I  naturally  desired,  there  arrived  at  the 
door  of  the  room  which  we  were  occupying  with 
our  plotting,  my  tall  and  awful  Uncle,  the  Gen 
eral  Robert,  and  looked  down  upon  us  with  the 
lightnings  of  a  storm  in  his  eyes.  Then,  before 
I  could  make  exclamation  and  betray  his  pres 
ence  to  the  lady  in  my  arms,  whose  back  was 
turned  in  his  direction,  he  had  disappeared. 
Did  I  betray  that  presence  to  the  lady?  I  did 
not.  I  decided  that  it  would  be  much  to  the 
advantage  of  the  affair  to  have  the  lady  in 
ignorance  of  his  knowledge. 


Vitriol  and  the  Hoodoo          161 

"  You  must  go  now,  boy,"  she  said  at  about 
the  moment  in  which  I  could  no  longer  keep  my 
dissembling  alive.  "  Send  the  Governor  in  here 
to  me,  for  it  is  about  the  time  I  had  promised 
to  dance  with  him.  I  want  to  talk  with  him 
and  try  to  make  him  see  some  at  least  of  this 
matter  in  the  right  light.  Go;  and  come  to  me 
to-morrow  at  four  —  for  —  for  France." 

I  went  and  it  was  with  much  joy  in  the  going. 
I  stopped  at  a  tall  window  to  get  into  my  lungs 
a  very  deep  supply  of  atmosphere  and  also  to 
take  counsel  with  myself. 

"  Mr.  Robert  Carruthers,"  I  said  to  myself, 
"  you  are  in  what  that  Mr.  G.  Slade  of  Detroit 
said  to  be  a  '  hell  of  a  fix '  when  the  nice  aunt 
of  that  beautiful  and  refined  '  skirt '  of  Saint 
Joseph,  Missouri,  discovered  her  to  be  in  his 
embrace  of  farewell.  I  cannot  tell  to  my  Uncle, 
the  General  Robert,  that  it  is  that  I,  a  woman 
of  honor,  have  planned  for  myself,  a  man  of 
dishonor,  to  betray  a  woman  into  his  hands,  and 
I  shall  receive  from  him  what  that  Buzz  Clen- 
denning  calls  to  be  a  '  dressing  down.'  But  I 
must  go  to  send  to  Madam  Delilah  now  the 
great  Gouverneur  of  the  State  of  Harpeth  and 


162  The  Daredevil 

for  what  she  does  to  him  that  is  unholy  she  will 
answer  to  Robert  Carruthers  or  —  or  Roberta, 
Marquise  of  Grez  and  Bye."  And  then  immedi 
ately  I  went  to  deliver  the  summons  of  Madam 
Whitworth  to  the  Gouverneur  Faulkner  and  I 
did  not  look  into  his  face  as  I  spoke  the  words, 
but  waited  with  my  eyes  cast  down  to  the  floor 
until  he  dismissed  me. 

Then  after  that  very  painful  hour  of  intrigue 
I  allowed  to  Mr.  Robert  Carruthers  another  of 
very  delightful  gayety  with  all  of  the  "  chiffon 
pinafore "  ladies  upon  the  ballroom  floor.  I 
have  in  my  blood  that  gayety  which  led  some  of 
my  ancestors  to  laugh  and  compliment  each 
other  and  play  piquet  up  even  to  the  edge  of  the 
guillotine,  and  I  refused  to  see  the  countenance 
of  my  Uncle,  the  General  Robert,  regarding  me 
from  the  door  in  the  end  of  the  ballroom.  I 
considered  that  an  hour  of  pleasure  was  a  sacred 
thing  not  to  be  interfered  with,  and  I  danced 
with  that  sweet  Sue  Tomlinson  right  past  the 
edge  of  his  toes  while  I  could  feel  the  delicious 
giggle  within  her,  which  was  answering  that 
within  me,  at  his  fierce  regard  of  us  both. 

"  He'll  eat  you  up  before  daylight,  Mr.  Car- 


Vitriol  and  the  Hoodoo          163 

ruthers,"  she  said  as  she  cast  a  sweet  and  loving 
glance  at  my  Uncle,  the  General  Robert,  which, 
I  could  see  as  I  lowered  her  over  my  arm  and 
slid  away  from  him,  was  giving  to  him  much 
nice  fury. 

"  I  will  request  that  Madam  black  Kizzie  to 
make  a  good  cream  gravy  to  me,"  I  made 
answer  to  her  with  merriment.  "  I  am  very 
tender,"  I  added  with  audacity  that  I  was  learn 
ing  with  such  a  rapidity  that  I  trembled  for  the 
reputation  of  Mr.  Robert  Carruthers,  and  as  I 
spoke  the  words  I  gave  to  her  a  little  embrace 
in  a  turn  of  the  dance.  It  should  not  have  been 
done,  but  if  that  sweet  Sue  had  known  that  a 
very  lonely  girl  danced  in  that  raven  garb  of 
a  man,  who  wanted  to  hold  her  close  for  her 
comforting,  she  would  have  forgiven  it,  I  feel 
sure.  That  Sue  is  a  young  woman  of  such  a 
good  sense  that  I  must  forever  cherish  her. 

"  Don't  do  that  again,  Bobby  Carruthers," 
she  said,  looking  up  at  me  with  a  lovely  serious 
ness  in  her  honest  young  eyes.  "  I  know  you 
are  French,  and  queer,  but  —  but  don't  — " 
After  a  little  she  added :  "  We  are  going  to  be 
grand  friends,  aren't  we?" 


164  The  Daredevil 

"  Yes,  lovely  Sue,  and  I  beg  of  you  pardon," 
I  answered  her  with  all  of  the  friendliness  of 
Roberta,  Marquise  of  Grez  and  Bye,  in  my  eyes 
and  voice,  which  seemed  to  give  to  her  a  beau 
tiful  satisfaction. 

"  Good!  I'll  tell  you  what  let's  do.  You  come 
by  for  me  to-morrow  afternoon  and  I'll  go  with 
you  to  the  Capitol  and  I'll  beard  the  General 
Lion  in  his  den  and  ask  him  to  let  us  be  friends, 
and  then  we'll  take  him  out  to  the  Confederate 
Soldiers'  Home  for  '  flags  down  '  —  it  mellowed 
him  so  once,  when  I  was  about  ten,  that  he 
let  me  trot  home  beside  him  holding  his  hand, 
though  he  didn't  speak  to  me  for  a  week  after. 
Want  to  ?  "  I  did  enjoy  the  mischief  in  those 
merry  eyes  that  I  laughed  into. 

"  I'll  steal  his  big  car  and  come  and  help  you 
—  what  do  you  say  ?  —  kidnap  my  Uncle,  the 
General  Robert,"  I  answered  her  with  delight  as 
I  released  her  into  the  arms  of  that  Buzz  Clen- 
denning  before  the  fox  had  been  more  than  half 
trotted. 

"  Go  pick  roses  out  of  your  own  garden, 
L'Aiglon,"  he  said  as  he  slid  her  away  from  me. 

And  for  the  reason  that  I  was  very  slightly 


Vitriol  and  the  Hoodoo          165 

fatigued  and  also  slightly  warm  from  being 
obliged  to  dance  in  the  very  heavy  swathings  of 
a  gentleman,  when  I  had  been  accustomed  to  the 
coolness  of  chiffon  and  tulle  and  thin  lace  of  a 
lady,  I  went  again  into  the  broad  hall  and  to 
the  wide  window  that  looked  away  to  those 
comforting  blue  hills.  Below  me  the  garden  was 
coming  out  of  a  veil  of  mist  as  the  moon,  which 
was  now  very  old,  came  slowly  up  from  behind 
the  dim  ridge  of  hills  that  my  Uncle  the  General 
Robert  had  told  me  to  be  called  Paradise  Ridge. 
All  the  spring  flowers  below  me  seemed  to  be 
sending  up  to  me  greetings  of  perfumes  and 
the  tall  purple  and  white  lilac  flowers  waved 
plumes  of  friendliness  at  me,  while  large  round 
pink  blossoms  that  I  think  are  called  peonies, 
nodded  and  beckoned  to  me  with  sweet  coun 
tenances.  I  felt  that  they  were  flower  friends 
who  in  their  turn  were  saying  messages  of  wel 
come  to  the  lonely  girl  who  had  come  across  the 
dark  waters  to  them  and  in  my  throat  I  began 
to  hum  that  "  Say  can  you  see  — "  Star 
Spangled  hymn  to  them,  and  was  just  preparing 
to  step  from  the  window  onto  a  balcony  and 
descend  to  them,  when  a  movement  of  human 


166  The  Daredevil 

beings  caught  my  eye  upon  the  side  of  that 
balcony  and  I  paused  in  the  darkness  of  the  win 
dow  curtain.  What  did  I  see? 

A  man  stood  at  the  rail  of  the  balcony  in 
the  dim  moonlight  and  he  was  speaking  to  a 
woman  whom  his  broad  shoulders  hid  from  me. 
The  man  was  the  Gouverneur  Faulkner  of  the 
State  of  Harpeth  and  in  a  moment  I  discovered 
the  identity  of  the  lady  with  him. 

"  And  now,  can't  you  see,  you  great  big 
stupid  man,  what  an  opportunity  I  have  pro 
cured  for  all  of  you?"  was  the  question  that 
came  in  the  soft  voice  of  the  beautiful  Madam 
Patricia  Whitworth.  "  All  my  life  I  have 
worked  just  to  get  a  little  ease  and  comfort, 
carrying  the  burden  of  Jeff  in  his  incompetency 
strapped  to  my  shoulders,  and  now  you,  who 
know  how  I've  suffered  and  slaved,  are  going 
to  take  it  all  from  me  when  it  is  just  within 
my  reach,  and  all  from  no  earthly  reason  than 
a  fancied  scruple  of  honor  which  that  old  dod 
dering  woman-hater  imposes  on  you.  I  cannot 
believe  that  you  would  so  treat  me."  And  there 
were  sobs  in  her  words  that  were  wooing  and 
compelling. 


Vitriol  and  the  Hoodoo          167 

"  I  cannot  do  a  thing  that  my  Secretary  of 
State  and  his  lawyers  declare  unconstitutional, 
Patricia,"  answered  the  voice  of  the  Gouverneur 
Faulkner,  in  which  were  notes  of  pain.  '  You 
know  how  it  pains  me  —  my  God,  don't  tempt 
me  to  —  "  His  voice  shook  as  I  saw  the  beau 
tiful,  bare  white  arms  of  Madam  Whitworth 
raise  themselves  and  go  about  his  neck  like 
great  white  grappling  hooks  from  which  he  was 
unable  to  defend  himself. 

"  Am  I  to  have  nothing  from  life  —  no  ease 
or  luxury  and  no  —  love  or  —  "  Her  voice 
ended  in  sobs  as  she  pressed  her  head  down  into 
his  shoulder  as  his  arm  folded  about  her  to 
prevent  that  she  should  fall. 

"  Patricia  — "  the  deep  voice  of  the  strong 
man  was  beginning  to  say  as  I  was  starting  to 
spring  forward  in  his  defense  and  to  do  —  I 
do  not  know  what  —  when  a  firm  grasp  was 
laid  upon  my  shoulder  and  I  was  turned  away 
from  the  window  into  the  light  of  the  wide  hall 
and  found  my  Uncle,  the  General  Robert,  look 
ing  down  into  my  flashing  eyes  with  a  great  and 
very  cool  calmness. 

"  Young  man,"  he  said  as  he  gave  to  me  a 


168  The  Daredevil 

very  powerful  shake,  "  all  women  are  poison 
but  some  are  vitriol  and  others  just  —  Oh,  well, 
paregoric.  Go  out  there  and  take  another  dose 
of  that  soothing  syrup  labeled  Susan  Tomlinson, 
before  I  take  you  home,  and  you  —  keep  —  away 

—  from  —  vitriol  —  or  —  I'll  —  break  —  your 

—  hot  —  young  —  head.      Vitriol,    mind    you!" 
With  which   command  my  Uncle,  the   General 
Robert,  strode  down  the  hall  in  the  direction  of 
the  smoking  room  and  left  me  blinking  in  the 
lights  of  the  wide  hall. 

;'  Little  Mas'  Robert,"  came  in  a  soft  voice 
at  my  elbow  as  I  stood  tottering,  "  is  you  got  a 
picture  of  yo'  mudder  you  could  show  Cato  some 
day  when  the  General  ain't  lookin'.  'Fore  I  dies 
I  wants  to  set  my  eyes  on  de  woman  dat  drawed 
little  Mas'  Henry  away  from  us  all.  Dey  is 
such  a  thing  in  dis  hard  old  world  as  love  what 
you  goes  '  crost  many  waters '  to  git,  and  he 
shorely  got  it."  And  I  looked  into  the  eyes  of 
that  old  black  man  to  find  a  truth  that  all  the 
white  humans  about  me,  myself  included,  were 
acting  in  the  terms  of  a  lie. 

Before  I  could  answer  the  old  man,  in  through 
the  window  came  the  Gouverneur  Faulkner  and 


Vitriol  and  the  Hoodoo          169 

the  beautiful  Madam  Whitworth,  and  from  his 
white  face  set  in  sternness  and  hers  with  its 
smile  of  the  opening  rose  upon  its  red  mouth  I 
could  not  tell  whether  his  honor  had  been  slain 
or  had  been  spared  for  another  round. 

"  I'll  want  you  in  my  office  at  the  Capitol  at 
eleven  to-morrow,  Robert,"  he  said  to  me,  and 
there  was  a  cold  sternness  in  his  glance  as  they 
passed  by  me  and  the  old  Cato  into  the  ballroom. 

"  At  four,"  murmured  the  beautiful  Madam 
Whitworth  as  she  swept  past  me  with  a  soft 
smile  but  in  a  tone  of  voice  too  low  for  any 
ears  save  my  own  and  I  think  of  the  old  Cato's. 

For  a  very  short  moment  the  old  black  man 
detained  me  as  he  searched  one  of  the  pockets 
of  his  long  gray  coat  and  then  he  handed  to  me 
a  tiny  flat  parcel  apparently  folded  in  some  kind 
of  thin  red  cloth. 

'  Wear  that  in  your  left  shoe,  honey,  day  and 
night.  You'll  need  it  if  she's  got  her  eye  on 
you,"  he  said  as  he  hurried  away  from  me  into 
the  smoking  room. 

After  disrobing  that  night,  or  rather  in  the 
early  morning  of  the  following  day,  I  inves 
tigated  the  contents  of  that  package.  In  it 


170  The  Daredevil 

were  a  gray  feather  off  of  an  apparently  very 
nice  chicken,  a  very  old  and  rusty  pin  bent  in 
two  places  and  a  flat  little  black  seed  I  had 
never  before  beheld. 

I  gazed  at  the  package  for  several  long 
moments,  then  I  put  back  upon  my  left  foot  the 
silk  sock  I  had  removed,  placed  the  token  of 
old  Cato  within  it  under  my  heel,  dived  into 
that  large  bed  of  my  ancestors  and  in  the  dark 
ness  covered  up  my  head  tightly  with  the  silk 
comforter. 


CHAPTER  XI 

BUSINESS  AND  PIE 

That  Mr.  Buzz  Clendenning  has  in  the  com 
position  of  his  nature  a  very  large  portion  of 
nice  foolishness  which  makes  the  heart  of  a 
lonely  person  most  comfortable.  He  decided, 
upon  that  very  first  day  of  our  introduction, 
that  I  was  to  be  as  a  small  brother  to  him  who 
was  much  loved  but  also  to  be  much  joked  about 
a  quaintness  which  he  chose  to  call  "  French 
greenness,"  and  for  which  I  was  most  grateful 
because  with  that  excuse  I  could  cover  all  mis 
takes  that  arose  from  my  being  a  girl  who  was 
ignorant  of  the  exact  methods  of  being  a  man. 
And,  also,  that  nice  attitude  towards  me  was 
of  quite  a  contagion,  for  all  of  the  young  ladies 
and  gentlemen  of  the  city  of  Hayesville  became 
the  same  to  me  and  all  of  the  time  my  heart 
was  warm  and  rejoiced  at  their  affection  shown 
in  banter  and  jokes. 

171 


172  The  Daredevil 

The  morning  after  that  very  much  enjoyed 
dinner  dance,  with  which  the  Governor  Faulk 
ner  complimented  my  Uncle,  the  General  Robert, 
through  me,  I  was  standing  in  front  of  the 
mirror  in  my  room  without  my  coat  or  my  collar, 
endeavoring  to  reduce  the  wave  in  my  black 
hair  to  the  sleekness  of  that  of  my  beloved 
Buzz,  which  had  a  difficulty  because  of  one  lock 
over  my  temple  whose  waywardness  I  had  for 
the  last  few  years  trained  to  fall  upon  my  cheek 
for  purposes  of  coquetry  and  which  would  per 
sist  in  trying  still  to  fulfill  that  unworthy  func 
tion.  And  right  in  the  center  of  my  punishment 
of  that  lovelock  with  the  stiff  brush  without  a 
handle,  which  was  twins  with  another  that  had 
come  with  the  gentleman's  traveling  bag  which 
I  had  purchased  in  New  York  of  the  nice  fat 
gentleman  in  the  store  of  clothing  for  men,  into 
my  room  came  that  Buzz  without  any  ceremony 
save  a  rap  upon  my  door  which  did  not  allow 
sufficient  time  for  any  response  from  me.  I 
blushed  with  alarm  at  the  thought  that  his 
entrance  might  have  come  at  a  much  earlier 
stage  of  my  toilet  and  I  made  a  resolve  to  lock 
the  door  tight  in  future,  at  the  same  time  turn- 


Business  and  Pie  173 

ing  to  greet  him  with  a  fine  and  great  composure. 

"  Say,  Bobby,  are  you  in  for  side-stepping  the 
chiefs  at  eleven-thirty  and  going  with  me  to 
take  a  nice  bunch  of  calicoes  out  to  the  Country 
Club  for  a  little  midday  sandwich  dance?  You 
can  eat  a  thin  ham  and  fox  trot  at  the  same 
time.  Sue  and  Belle  and  Kate  Keith  all  want 
to  get  on  to  that  long  slide  you've  brought  over 
direct  from  Paree.  It  stuck  in  their  systems 
last  evening  and  they  want  more.  Want  to 
go?" 

'  With  a  greatness  of  pleasure,  but  His  Excel 
lency  has  commanded  me  at  eleven  o'clock  and 
will  I  be  through  the  tasks  at  the  hour  for 
escorting  those  calicoes  out  to  your  Club  for 
a  dance?  "  I  asked  with  great  delight  as  I  con 
tinued  my  operations  with  the  brush  upon  the 
rebellious  lock. 

"  You'll  have  time  if  you  stop  that  primping 
and  hustle  into  your  collar  and  coat.  Here,  let 
me  show  you  how  to  doctor  that  place  where  the 
cow  licked  you.  Why  don't  you  take  both 
brushes  to  it  ?  Like  this !  "  With  which  Mr. 
Buzz  took  from  my  hand  the  one  brush  and 
from  the  high  dressing  table  the  other,  for 


174  The  Daredevil 

which  my  ignorance  had  discovered  no  use,  and 
did  then  commence  a  vigorous  assault  on  my 
enemy  the  curl. 

'  What  was  it  you  said  of  a  cow,  my  Buzz?  " 
I  questioned  him  as  I  made  a  squirming  under 
the  vigor  of  his  attack  upon  my  hair. 

'  When  hair  acts  up  like  this  we  call  it  a 
cowlick  in  United  States  language.  See  here, 
L'Aiglon,  old  boy,  this  hair  looks  as  if  it  had 
at  one  time  been  curled.  Did  you  wear  it  that 
way  in  Paris?"  And  as  he  asked  the  question 
he  gave  that  side  of  my  hair  one  more  vigorous 
sweep  and  stood  off  to  admire  his  work. 

"  No,  my  Buzz,  I  assure  you  that  it  was  the 
cruelty  of  that  cow  you  mention,  while  I  was  at 
a  very  tender  age,"  I  answered  with  a  laugh  into 
his  eyes  that  covered  nicely  the  blush  that  rose 
to  my  cheek  at  his  accusation  concerning  the 
lovelock. 

"  Well,  knot  that  tie  now  in  a  jiffy  and  climb 
into  your  coat.  Let's  get  to  the  Capitol  and 
give  the  old  boys  as  little  of  our  attention  as 
they'll  stand  for,  and  then  beat  it  for  the  girls. 
Bet  my  chief  growls  blue  blazes  at  me  over  the 
way  Sue  ragged  him  about  you  last  night.  He'll 


Business  and  Pie  175 

issue  a  command  at  the  point  of  the  bayonet  to 
me  to  keep  you  away  from  the  bunch,  and  I'll 
agree  just  so  as  to  make  the  slide  from  under 
easy.  Come  on."  And  while  he  spoke  to  me, 
that  Buzz  raced  me  down  the  hall  of  my 
ancestors  and  out  into  his  very  slim,  fast  car 
before  I  could  get  breath  for  speaking. 

"  But  suppose  His  Excellency  the  Gouverneur 
Faulkner  requires  my  presence  beyond  that  half 
hour  after  eleven  o'clock,  my  Buzz,  is  it  that 
you  will  await  me  for  a  few  short  minutes?" 
I  asked  of  him  as  we  ascended  the  steps  of  the 
Capitol  of  the  State  of  Harpeth. 

"  Oh,  Bill  won't  keep  you  any  longer  than 
that.  He'll  have  twenty  other  interviews  on 
the  string  for  to-day.  Fifteen  minutes  will  be 
about  right  for  you;  you  wait  for  me  in  the 
General's  anteroom.  I'll  have  to  get  heroics 
before  instructions.  I  always  do.  Now  beat 
it."  With  which  words  my  Buzz  left  me  in  the 
wide  hall  of  the  great  Capitol  before  a  door 
marked:  "Office  of  the  Governor." 

Upon  that  door  I  knocked  and  it  was  imme 
diately  opened  to  me  by  fine  black  Cato,  whose 
eyes  shone  in  recognition  of  me. 


176  The  Daredevil 

"  Got  it  in  yo'  shoe?"  he  demanded  in  a 
whisper. 

'  Yes,  my  good  Cato,"  I  responded  also  in  a 
low  tone  of  voice. 

"  Den  pass  on  in  to  de  Governor ;  he  am 
waitin'  fer  you.  You's  safe,  chile."  And  he 
escorted  me  past  several  gentlemen  seated  and 
standing  in  groups,  to  another  door,  which  he 
opened  for  me  and  through  which  he  motioned 
me  to  pass. 

"  Mr.  Robert  Carruthers,"  he  announced  me 
with  the  greatest  ceremony.  "  Go  in,  honey," 
he  said  softly  and  I  passed  into  the  room  whose 
door  he  closed  quietly  behind  me. 

"  Good  morning,  Robert,"  said  the  Gouv- 
erneur  Faulkner  to  me  as  I  came  and  stood 
opposite  him  at  the  edge  of  his  wide  desk.  And 
he  smiled  at  me  with  a  great  gentleness  that 
had  also  humor  playing  into  it  from  the  corners 
of  his  eyes  and  mouth.  "  I'm  afraid  that  you've 
landed  in  the  midst  of  a  genuine  case  of  Amer 
ican  hustle  this  '  morning  after.'  Here  are  two 
lists  of  specifications,  one  in  English  weights 
and  measurements  and  the  other  in  French.  I 
want  you  to  compare  them  carefully,  checking 


Business  and  Pie  177 

them  as  you  go  and  then  re-checking  them.  I 
want  to  be  sure  they  are  the  same.  Also  make 
a  good  literal  translation  of  any  notes  that  may 
be  in  French  and  compare  them  with  the  notes 
in  English.  Do  you  think  it  can  be  done  for 
me  by  three  o'clock,  in  time  for  a  conference  I 
have  at  that  hour  ?  "  With  which  request  he, 
the  Gouverneur  Faulkner,  handed  me  two  large 
sheets  of  paper  down  which  were  many  long 
columns  of  figures. 

" Mon  Dieu"  I  said  to  myself  under  my 
breath,  for  always  I  have  had  to  count  out  the 
pieces  of  money  necessary  to  give  to  Nannette 
for  the  washer  of  the  linen  at  the  Chateau  de 
Grez,  upon  the  fingers  of  my  hands,  which  often 
seemed  too  few  to  furnish  me  sufficient  aid. 
But  in  a  small  instant  I  had  recovered  my  cour 
age,  which  brought  with  it  a  determination  to 
do  that  task  if  it  meant  my  death. 

1  Yes,  Your  Excellency,"  I  answered  him  with 
a  great  composure  in  the  face  of  the  tragedy. 

'  You'll  find  the  small  office  between  my  office 
and  that  of  General  Carruthers  empty.  A  ring 
of  the  bell  under  the  desk  means  for  you  to 
come  to  me.  I'll  try  not  to  interrupt  you.  Two 


178  The  Daredevil 

rings  means  to  go  to  the  General.  That  is 
about  all."  With  a  wave  of  his  hand  the 
Gouverneur  Faulkner  dismissed  me  to  my  death. 

With  my  head  up  in  the  air  I  turned  from 
him  and  prepared  to  retire  to  my  prison  from 
which  I  could  see  no  release,  when  again  I 
heard  his  summons.  He  had  risen  and  was 
standing  beside  his  desk  and  as  I  turned  he  held 
out  his  hand  into  which  I  laid  mine  as  he  drew 
me  near  to  him. 

"Youngster,"  he  said  and  the  smile  which  all 
persons  call  cold  was  all  of  gentleness  into  my 
eyes,  "  these  are  going  to  be  some  hard  days 
for  us  all,  these  next  ten,  and  if  I  drive  you 
too  hard,  balk,  will  you  ?  " 

"  To  the  death  for  you  I'll  go,  my  Gouverneur 
Faulkner,"  I  answered  him,  looking  straight  into 
his  tired  eyes  that  were  so  deep  under  the  black, 
silver-tipped  wings  of  his  brows.  I  did  not 
mean  that  death  I  had  threatened  myself  from 
the  mathematics  in  the  paper,  but  in  my  heart 
there  was  something  that  rose  and  answered 
the  sadness  in  his  eyes  with  again  all  that 
savageness  of  a  barbarian. 

"  Then  I'll  take  you  to  the  point  of  demise  — 


Business  and  Pie  179 

almost  —  if  I  need  you,"  he  answered  me  with 
a  laugh  that  hid  a  quiver  of  emotion  in 
his  voice  as  something  that  was  like  unto 
a  spark  shot  from  the  depths  of  his  eyes 
into  the  depths  of  mine.  "  Go  get  the  papers 
verified  and  let  me  know  when  you  have 
finished."  And  this  time  I  was  in  reality  dis 
missed.  I  went;  but  in  my  heart  was  a  strange 
smoulder  that  the  spark  had  kindled. 

In  the  small  room  that  opened  off  of  that  of 
the  Gouverneur  Faulkner,  with  a  door  that  I 
knew  to  lead  into  the  room  of  my  Uncle,  the 
General  Robert,  I  seated  myself  at  a  table  by  a 
window  which  looked  down  upon  the  city  spread 
at  the  foot  of  the  Capitol  hill  lying  shimmering 
in  the  young  spring  mists  that  drifted  across  its 
housetops.  I  laid  down  the  papers,  took  a 
pencil  from  a  tray  close  beside  my  hand  and 
then  faced  the  most  dreadful  of  any  situation 
that  I  had  ever  brought  down  upon  my  own 
head.  I  also  faced  at  the  same  time  the  smiling 
countenance  of  my  Buzz,  who  looked  into  the 
door  from  the  room  of  my  Uncle,  the  General 
Robert,  slipped  through  that  door  and  closed  it 
gently  behind  him. 


180  The  Daredevil 

"  Safe  on  first  base !  The  old  boy  of  the 
bayonets  has  been  called  to  the  Governor  and 
he'll  not  be  back  before  they  both  have  luncheon 
sent  in  to  them.  I  have  taken  his  letters  and 
now  I'm  off.  What  did  Bill  hand  you?" 

"  Death  and  also  destruction,"  I  answered  in 
an  expletive  often  used  by  my  father  in  times 
of  a  catastrophe,  and  with  those  words  I  showed 
to  my  Buzz  the  two  long  papers. 

"  Shoo,  that's  no  big  job.  I  looked  over  and 
verified  this  one  myself  yesterday  in  ten  minutes. 
Hello,  this  other  one  is  in  French.  Just  run 
it  through  and  if  it  is  to  tally,  call  it;  and  I'll 
hold  this  one.  We  can  do  it  in  fifteen  minutes. 
Go  ahead  from  the  top  line  across."  And  my 
Buzz  held  the  paper  in  his  hand  as  he  seated 
himself  in  readiness  upon  the  corner  of  my  desk 
beside  me. 

"  Oh,  my  Buzz,  I  have  such  a  mortification 
that  I  cannot  add  one  to  another  of  these  long 
figures.  When  I  place  one  number  to  another  I 
must  use  my  fingers,  and  in  this  case  you  see 
that  it  is  impossible."  Tears  I  did  not  allow 
in  my  eyes,  but  they  were  in  my  voice,  and  I 
looked  into  the  eyes  of  my  Buzz  with  a  great 


Business  and  Pie  181 

terror.  "What  is  it  that  I  shall  do?  I  am 
in  disgrace." 

"  You  complete  edition  of  a  kid,  you,  don't 
you  know  I  can  do  it  for  you?  That  is,  if  you 
know  what  all  these  kilo  things  stand  for  in 
English.  Do  you?"  As  he  spoke,  that  kind 
Buzz  put  his  hand  on  my  shoulder  with  a  nice 
rough  shake. 

"  I  do  know  from  my  governess,  Madam 
Fournet,  and  I  will  write  it  all  down  for  you, 
my  Buzz,  for  whom  I  feel  so  much  gratitude 
for  help,"  I  answered  with  quickness. 

"  Stow  the  gratitude  and  write  'em  all  out. 
It  will  take  us  about  an  hour  but  it  is  good  to 
keep  calicoes  waiting  occasionally,"  he  said, 
and  did  thereupon  seat  himself  beside  the  table 
and  draw  to  himself  the  two  sheets  of  paper, 
while  I  quickly  wrote  out  the  table  of  French 
weights  and  measurements  translated  into 
English. 

I  did  very  much  enjoy  that  hour  in  which  my 
Buzz  labored  with  a  pencil  and  a  great  industry 
while  I  called  to  him  the  list  of  long  figures  and 
then  verified  as  he  showed  me  the  units  upon  the 
page  in  the  French  language.  He  made  jokes 


182  The  Daredevil 

at  me  between  workings  while  he  attended  his 
cigarette  and  we,  together,  had  much  laughter. 

"  There  are  just  three  places  where  these 
figures  disagree  and  I  have  marked  them  care 
fully,  L'Aiglon,"  he  said  as  at  last  he  laid  down 
both  pieces  of  the  paper.  "  These  French  specifi 
cations  and  figures  that  floored  you,  represent 
the  ideal  mule  in  bulk  and  these  United  States 
figures  promise  the  same  multitude  in  scrub. 
I  thought  as  much.  You  just  run  in  there  to 
Bill  with  them  and  then  forget  you  ever  saw 
them,  and  we'll  be  on  our  way  to  the  girls  in 
ten  minutes.  Bobby,  I  mean  it  when  I  say  that 
men  in  your  and  my  positions  of  trust  just 
forget  facts  and  figures  the  minute  we  get  out 
of  sight  of  our  chiefs.  And  we  forget  the 
chiefs  too,  believe  me.  Now  run  along  and 
come  out  to  the  car  on  the  same  trot." 

"  Is  it  of  honor  not  to  tell  to  the  Gouverneur 
Faulkner  that  you  assisted  me  in  this  task,  my 
Buzz?  "  I  asked  of  him  with  anxiety. 

"  No  need  to  tell  him  —  it's  all  in  the  same 
office  and  will  come  to  me  for  filing.  Don't  say 
anything  that  will  bring  on  talk  that  keeps  us 
from  Sue  and  the  gang.  Just  run ! "  With 


Business  and  Pie  183 

which  advice  my  kind  Buzz  disappeared  through 
the  door  into  the  office  of  my  Uncle,  the  General 
Robert,  as  I  softly  opened  the  door  of  the  room 
of  the  Gouverneur  Faulkner  and  entered  into  his 
presence.  And  in  that  presence  I  found  also 
my  Uncle,  the  General  Robert,  in  a  very  grave 
consultation  with  the  Gouverneur  Faulkner. 

'  The  papers  completed,  Your  Excellency," 
I  said  in  a  very  low  and  meek  tone  of  my  voice 
as  I  laid  the  papers  beside  him  on  the  table 
and  prepared  to  take  the  running  departure  that 
my  Buzz  had  commanded  of  me. 

''  Bless  my  soul,  are  you  here  and  at  work, 
young  man?  I  thought  you  were  asleep  after 
all  that  gallivanting,  and  was  just  preparing  to 
blow  you  up  out  of  bed  over  the  telephone," 
exclaimed  my  Uncle,  the  General  Robert,  with 
great  fierceness  of  manner  but  also  a  great 
pleasure  of  eyes  at  the  sight  of  me  in  the 
character  of  such  a  nice  Secretary  to  the 
Gouverneur  of  Harpeth. 

"  Robert  arrived  five  minutes  after  I  did  and 
ten  minutes  before  you  came  into  the  building, 
General,"  said  that  Gouverneur  Faulkner,  with 
a  twinkle  of  great  enjoyment  in  his  eyes.  "  He's 


184  The  Daredevil 

done  a  day's  work  before  we  have  begun.  Will 
you  have  your  luncheon  sent  up  from  the 
restaurant  with  ours,  Robert?  Just  order  the 
usual  things  for  us  and  any  kind  of  frills  you 
care  for.  Shall  I  say  snails?  " 

"  I  thank  Your  Excellency  deeply  but  I  am 
engaged  that  I  luncheon  and  dance  with  Mr. 
Buzz  Clendenning  in  his  club  in  the  country 
if  I  may  be  given  permission  to  go,"  I  answered 
as  I  laid  my  fingers  with  affection  on  the  arm 
of  my  Uncle,  the  General  Robert,  as  I  stood 
beside  him. 

"  Nonsense,  sir !  You'll  not  join  those  jack 
anapes  in  their  gambols  during  business  hours. 
Order  yourself  up  a  slice  of  pie  and  a  glass  of 
buttermilk  along  with  mine  and  sit  down  here 
to  listen  to  matters  of  business  by  which  you 
can  profit.  Luncheon  and  dancing!  No,  pie 
and  business,  I  say,  pie  and  business !  "  And 
the  fierceness  of  my  Uncle,  the  General  Robert, 
made  me  retire  several  feet  away  from  him  in 
astonishment  and  in  the  direction  of  the  Gouv- 
erneur  Faulkner. 

"  Now,  General,  don't  tie  the  boy  down  to 
pie  and  the  company  of  two  musty  old  gentle- 


Business  and  Pie  185 

men  like  ourselves.  He's  earned  a  dance.  You 
may  go,  Robert,  and  I  wish  —  I  wish  my  heels 
were  light  enough  to  go  with  yours,"  that  kind 
Gouverneur  said  in  my  behalf. 

"  Light  heels,  light  head !  And  I  say  he 
shall  —  "  And  another  explosion  of  fierceness 
was  about  to  arrive  from  my  Uncle,  the  General 
Robert,  when  I  said  with  great  and  real 
humility : 

''  It  will  be  my  great  pleasure  to  sit  at  the 
feet  of  you  and  His  Excellency,  which  are  not 
light  for  dancing,  my  Uncle  Robert,  and  eat  a 
large  piece  of  pie  and  also  milk."  I  spoke  with 
a  sincerity,  for  suddenly  I  knew  that  there 
would  be  nothing  at  that  dance  of  girls  in  the 
club  of  my  Buzz  that  I  would  so  desire  as  to 
sit  near  to  that  Gouverneur  Faulkner,  in  whose 
eyes  came  that  sadness  when  he  spoke  of  the 
dance  for  which  he  had  not  the  light  feet,  and 
eat  with  him  and  my  Uncle,  the  General  Robert, 
a  piece  of  that  American  pie  of  which  I  had 
heard  my  father  speak  many  times. 

"  Why,  he  means  it,  General,"  said  the 
Gouverneur  Faulkner  with  a  great  softness  in 
his  eyes  that  answered  the  affection  that  was  in 


186  The  Daredevil 

mine  that  pleaded  for  the  pie  and  a  place  at  his 
side.  "  Run,  youngster,  run,  before  the  General 
says  another  word.  You  are  dismissed.  Go!" 
And  ,with  a  great  laugh  the  Gouverneur  Faulk 
ner  rose,  put  his  arm  around  my  shoulder  and 
put  me  out  of  that  room  before  my  Uncle,  the 
General  Robert,  could  begin  any  more  words  of 
remonstrance.  And  I  ran  away  from  that  door 
to  my  Buzz  in  the  waiting  car  with  both  light 
and  reluctant  feet. 

The  two  hours  that  I  spent  with  my  Buzz  at 
his  club  in  the  country  with  what  he  called  in 
front  of  their  very  faces,  bunches  of  calico, 
passed  with  such  a  rapidity  that  I  felt  I  must 
grasp  each  minute  and  remonstrate  with  them 
for  their  fleetness.  That  Mademoiselle  Sue  was 
even  much  more  lovely  in  her  gray  costume  of 
golf  with  a  tie  the  color  of  the  one  worn  by  my 
Buzz,  than  she  had  been  in  her  chiffon  of  the 
dinner  dance,  and  the  beautiful  Belle  was  much 
the  same,  with  an  added  gayety  and  charm, 
while  I  discovered  a  very  sweet  Kate  Keith 
and  a  Mildred  Summers  who  was  not  of  a  great 
beauty  but  of  many  interesting  remarks  which 
induced  much  laughing.  With  them  were  that 


Business  and  Pie  187 

Miles  Menefee  whom  my  Buzz  had  recom 
mended  to  me,  and  also  several  young  gentle 
men  of  America  whom  I  liked  exceedingly. 
One  Mr.  Phillips  Taylor  took  me  by  my  heart 
with  a  great  force  when,  as  we  were  all  seated 
on  the  steps  of  the  wide  porch  eating  the 
promised  sandwich  and  consuming  breath  for 
another  dance  in  a  very  few  minutes,  he  said  to 
me: 

"  Say,  Mr.  Robert  Carruthers,  my  mater 
wants  to  see  you  over  in  the  east  card  room 
directly.  She  says  she  had  it  on  with  your 
father  in  their  dancing  school  days  and  it  was 
only  by  the  intervention  of  some  sort  of  love 
ruckus  that  you  and  I  are  not  brothers  or  maybe 
\vhat  would  be  worse,  brother  and  sister.  If 
that  had  happened  you  would  have  had  to  be  it. 
I  wouldn't.  But  that's  not  our  quarrel." 

"  You  couldn't  have  been  a  woman  unless 
you  had  received  a  much  better  finishing  polish 
before  being  sent  to  bless  the  earth,  Phil, 
dear,"  said  that  funny  Mademoiselle  Mildred 
Summers,  and  that  Mr.  Phillips  Taylor  returned 
the  insult  by  lifting  her  off  of  her  feet  and 
gliding  her  halfway  across  the  porch  verandah 


188  The  Daredevil 

in  the  beginning  of  one  tango  dance  to  the 
music  that  was  again  to  be  heard  from  the  hall 
within  the  building. 

"  Mildred  and  Phil  fight  like  aborigines,  and 
their  love  for  combat  will  lead  to  matrimony  in 
their  early  youth  if  they  are  not  reconciled  to 
each  other  soon,"  said  lovely  Sue  as  she  fitted 
herself  into  my  arms  for  our  tango. 

"  After  this  dance  \vith  you  will  you  lead  me 
to  that  Madam  Taylor,  the  friend  of  my  father, 
beautiful  Sue?"  I  asked  of  her.  "It  makes 
happy  my  heart  to  see  one  who  loved  him." 
And  as  I  spoke,  the  longing  for  my  father  that 
will  ever  be  in  my  heart  made  a  sadness  in  my 
voice  and  a  dimness  in  my  eyes. 

"  I  think  everybody  loved  him  just  as  we  are 
all  beginning  to  —  to  like  you,  Bobby  dear," 
said  that  sweet  girl  as  she  smiled  up  at  me  in 
a  way  that  sent  the  dimness  in  my  eyes  back 
to  my  heart. 

"  I  am  very  grateful  that  you  like  me,  lovely 
Sue,"  I  said  with  great  humility.  "  I  will 
endeavor  to  win  and  deserve  more  and  more 
of  that  liking,  until  it  is  with  me  as  if  I  had 
been  born  in  a  house  near  to  yours,  as  is  the 


Business  and  Pie  189 

case  with  my  dear   Buzz  and  also  that   funny 
Mildred." 

'  I  couldn't  like  you  any  better,  Bobby,  if  you 
had  torn  the  hair  off  of  my  doll's  head  or 
broken  my  slate  a  dozen  times,"  she  laughed  at 
me  again  as  we  slid  together  the  last  slide  in 
the  dance.  "  Now  come  over  and  be  introduced 
to  Mrs.  Taylor.  You  have  only  a  few  minutes, 
for  you  and  Buzz  must  both  be  back  at  the 
Capitol  at  two.  I  feel  in  honor  bound  to  the 
State  to  send  you  both  back  on  time."  And 
while  she  spoke  she  led  me  across  the  hall  of 
the  clubhouse  and  into  a  room  full  of  ladies, 
who  sat  at  card  tables  consuming  very  beautiful 
food  while  also  preparing  to  resume  playing  the 
cards. 


CHAPTER  XII 

THE  BEAUTIFUL  MADAM 
WHITWORTH 

Sue  then  made  for  me  many  introductions 
and  all  of  those  lovely  grande  dames  gave  to  me 
affectionate  welcomes.  Some  of  them  I  had 
encountered  at  the  dance  of  the  Gouverneur 
Faulkner  and  all  of  them  had  smiles  for  me. 

'  Why,  boy,  you  are  Henry's  very  self  come 
back  to  us  after  all  these  years  —  only  with  a 
lot  of  added  deviltry  in  the  way  of  French 
beauty,"  said  that  Madam  Taylor,  who  was 
very  stately,  with  white  hair  and  a  very  young 
countenance  of  sweetness.  "  The  daredevil  - 
it  was  like  him  to  send  you  back  to  us  as  —  as 
revenge,"  she  added  with  something  that  almost 
seemed  like  anger  under  the  sweetness  of  her 
voice. 

"  It  is  what  my  father  always  named  me, 
Madam,  the  '  daredevil/  and  will  you  not  accept 

190 


Beautiful  Madam  Whitworth      191 

me  for  your  cherishing?  "  I  spoke  those  words 
to  her  from  an  impulse  that  I  could  not  under 
stand  but  I  saw  them  soothe  a  hurt  in  her  eyes 
as  she  laughed  and  kissed  my  cheek  as  I  raised 
my  head  from  kissing  her  jeweled  hand. 

"  Yes,"  she  answered  me  softly. 

"  Come  on,  L'Aiglon;  it's  time  to  beat  it.  We 
are  late  and  Sue  is  beginning  to  shoo,"  called  my 
Buzz  from  the  door  of  the  card  room.  "  We 
are  coming  home  with  Phil  for  supper  to-night, 
Mrs.  Taylor,  and  the  Prince  wants  an  intro 
duction  to  your  custard  pie.  Yes'm,  seven 
sharp !  Come  on,  Bob !  " 

"  My  Buzz,"  I  said  to  that  Mr.  Buzz  Clen- 
denning  as  he  raced  the  slim  car  through  the 
country  and  the  city  up  to  the  Capitol  hill, 
"  you  give  to  me  a  life  of  much  joy  in  only  a 
few  days.  I  would  that  it  could  so  continue." 

"  It  just  will  until  we  are  jolly  old  boys  with 
long  white  beards  and  canes,  Bobby,"  he 
answered  me  with  an  affectionate  grin  as  we 
rounded  a  corner  on  two  wheels  of  the  car. 
"  Say,  let's  get  out  of  this  politics  soon,  go  in 
for  selling  timber  lands,  marry  two  of  the  cali 
coes  and  found  families.  We'll  call  the  firm 


192  The  Daredevil 

Carruthers  and  Clendenning  and  I  choose  Sue. 
You  can  decide  about  your  dame  later." 

Suddenly  something  very  cold  and  dead  was 
there  in  place  of  my  heart  that  had  danced  with 
happiness.  What  should  I  do  at  that  time 
of  disclosing  myself  as  one  large  lie  to  all  of 
these  kind  friends  who  were  giving  me  affection 
on  the  account  of  my  honored  father  and  Uncle, 
the  General  Robert?  That  daredevil  in  me  had 
led  me  into  this  dishonor,  with  the  excuse,  it  is 
true,  of  fear  that  the  wicked  Uncle  would  not 
have  mended  the  hip  of  small  Pierre  if  I  did 
not  obey  his  summons  as  a  nephew.  And  now 
I  must  stay  to  be  of  service  to  him  and  to  the 
Gouverneur  Faulkner  but  also  to  be  more 
involved  in  that  lie  and  to  accept  more  confi 
dence  and  affection  with  thievery. 

"  I  cannot  sell  the  lands  of  timber  with  you, 
my  Buzz,"  I  made  answer  to  him  quickly  and 
with  fierceness.  "  As  soon  as  this  business  of 
the  mules  is  settled  and  my  Uncle,  the  General 
Robert,  no  longer  requires  my  services,  I  must 
return  and  go  into  the  trenches  of  France."  And 
I  felt  as  I  spoke  that  my  fate  was  decided,  and 
a  great  calmness  came  over  me. 


Beautiful  Madam  Whitworth      193 

'  Then  I'll  go  with  you,"  answered  me  that 
Buzz  with  a  look  of  the  steadfast  affection 
which  might  have  grown  with  years  of  com 
radeship.  "  I'll  go  and  fight  for  France  with 
you  if  you'll  come  back  and  build  an  American 
family  alongside  of  mine.  Jump  out  —  we  are 
fifteen  minutes  late  —  and  watch  the  General 
scalp  me.  Come  in  through  his  office  and  take 
a  part  of  it,  will  you?" 

Even  in  the  very  short  time  which  I  had 
known  my  Uncle,  the  General  Robert,  I  had 
discovered  that  the  times  at  which  could  be 
anticipated  explosions,  none  came,  and  also  the 
reverse  of  that  fact.  When  my  Buzz  and  I 
entered  his  office  he  very  hastily  concealed  a 
book  that  had  some  variety  of  richly  colored 
pictures  in  it  in  his  desk  and  smiled  with  a 
wink  of  the  eye  at  my  Buzz.  Later  I  should 
know  about  that  book  to  my  great  joy. 

"  Here's  a  letter  for  you,  Robert,  and  go  get 
to  your  knitting  with  Governor  Bill,"  he  said 
to  me  with  kindness  in  his  smile  as  he  handed 
me  a  large  letter  and  motioned  me  from  the 
room  into  the  small  anteroom  that  I  now  knew 
to  be  the  place  assigned  to  my  Buzz  and  me 


194  The  Daredevil 

when  not  wanted  in  the  offices  of  my  Uncle, 
the  General  Robert,  or  the  Gouverneur  Faulk 
ner.  I  made  a  low  bow  to  my  Uncle,  the  General 
Robert,  and  also  to  Monsieur  the  Bumble  Bee 
and  departed  thence. 

On  seating  myself  at  my  table  to  await  the 
bell  of  the  Gouverneur  Faulkner,  without  which 
ringing  my  Buzz  had  instructed  me  I  must  never 
on  pain  of  extinction  as  a  secretary  enter  His 
Excellency's  office,  I  opened  that  letter  and 
began  to  read  with  difficulty  a  letter  of  a  few 
words  from  my  wee  Pierre,  now  in  the  hospital 
of  that  kind  Doctor  Burns.  I  read  not  more 
than  one  sentence  when  I  leaped  to  my  feet 
with  a  cry  of  joy  and  my  heart  beat  very  high 
with  happiness.  To  whom  should  I  turn  to  tell 
of  that  happiness?  I  did  not  pause  to  answer 
that  question  in  my  heart  but  I  quickly  opened 
the  door  of  the  august  Gouverneur  of  Harpeth 
and  presented  myself  to  him  in  a  disobedience  of 
strict  orders.  And  then  what  befell  me  ? 

Seated  at  his  desk  was  that  great  and  good 
man,  with  his  head  bowed  upon  his  hands;  and 
at  my  entrance  he  raised  that  head  with  an 
alarm.  I  could  see  that  his  face  was  heavy  and 


Beautiful  Madam  Whitworth      195 

sad  with  deep  pondering  and  I  was  instantly 
thrown  into  mortification  that  I  had  so  inter 
rupted  him.  I  faltered  there  beside  him  and 
found  halting  words  to  exclaim: 

"  Oh,  it  is  a  pardon  I  ask  Your  Excellency 
for  intruding  into  your  door,  but  it  is  that  my 
small  Pierre  has  stood  upon  two  feet  for  per 
haps  a  whole  minute  in  the  hospital  of  that  good 
Dr.  Burns  and  I  must  run  to  tell  you  of  my  joy. 
Is  it  quite  possible  now  that  Pierre  will  no 
longer  be  for  life  crooked  in  the  back?  "  And  as 
I  spoke  I  held  out  to  him  the  letter  upon  which 
tears  were  dripping  and  one  of  my  hands  I 
clasped  trembling  at  my  breast  that  shook  under 
that  stylish  cheviot  bag  of  a  coat  I  had  that 
morning  put  upon  me  for  the  first  time.  And 
did  that  great  Gouverneur  Faulkner  repulse  his 
wicked  secretary?  He  did  not. 

"  God  bless  you,  youngster !  Of  course  you 
run  right  to  tell  me  when  a  big  thing  like  that 
happens.  Sure  that  back  will  be  all  straight  in 
no  time  and  we'll  have  the  little  maid  down, 
running  in  and  out  at  her  will  in  just  a  few 
months,"  and  as  he  spoke  that  Gouverneur 
Faulkner  came  to  my  side  and  took  the  hand 


196  The  Daredevil 

that  held  the  tear-besprinkled  letter  and  also 
drew  the  one  from  my  breast  into  his  own  two 
large  and  warm  ones.  "  I've  been  hearing 
people's  troubles  for  what  seems  like  an  eternity, 
boy,  but  not  a  single  son-of-a-gun  has  run  to  me 
with  his  joy  until  you  have.  Here,  use  one 
corner  of  my  handkerchief  while  I  use  the 
other,"  and  as  he  spoke  that  very  large  and 
broad-shouldered  man  released  one  of  my  hands, 
dabbed  his  own  eyes  that  were  sparkling  with 
perhaps  a  tear,  and  then  handed  that  handker 
chief  to  me. 

And  those  tears  of  both  of  us  ended  in  a  large 
laugh. 

"  It  is  my  habit  that  I  shed  tears  when  in 
joy,"  I  said  with  apology,  as  I  returned  that 
large  white  handkerchief  to  that  Gouverneur 
Faulkner. 

"  Mind  you  don't  tell  anybody  that  Governor 
Bill  Faulkner  does  the  same  thing,"  he  answered 
with  a  laugh. 

"  I  have  a  feeling  that  is  of  longing  to  rush 
to  small  Pierre  and  to  prostrate  myself  at  the 
feet  of  that  good  Doctor,"  I  said  as  again  the 
great  joy  of  that  news  rushed  upon  me. 


Beautiful  Madam  Whitworth      197 

"  No,  boy,  not  right  now,"  answered  that 
great  Gouverneur  Faulkner  as  he  turned  and 
laid  a  large  warm  hand  on  each  of  my  shoulders. 
1  The  crisis  is  at  hand  and  I  need  you  here  for 
a  little  time.  I  can't  explain  it,  but  —  but  you 
seem  to  feed  —  feed  my  faith  in  myself.  In 
just  a  few  days  I've  grown  to  depend  on  you 
to  —  to  —  You  ridiculous  boy,  you,  with  your 
storms  and  joy  sunbursts,  get  out  of  here  and 
tell  Cato  to  send  Mr.  Whitworth  and  Mr.  Brown 
into  my  office  immediately."  And  with  a  laugh 
and  a  shake  of  me  away  from  his  side,  the 
Gouverneur  Faulkner  picked  up  the  two  long 
sheets  of  paper  which  had  been  of  so  much  labor 
to  my  Buzz  and  me  and  began  to  scowl  back  of 
his  black,  white-tipped  eyebrows  over  them.  I 
departed  with  great  rapidity. 

Then  with  much  more  calmness  I  told  the 
great  news  of  the  back  of  Pierre  to  my  Uncle, 
the  General  Robert. 

"  That's  fine  —  now  we  can  give  her  away 
without  any  trouble.  I  knew  Burns  could  do 
the  trick.  It's  a  bargain  at  two  thousand  dollars 
to  get  a  girl  in  the  shape  to  give  away.  She 
could  give  us  no  end  of  bother  if  we  had  to 


198  The  Daredevil 

keep  her.  Go  find  that  flea,  Clendenning,  and 
tell  him  to  come  to  me  immediately;  I  think  he 
is  buzzing  in  the  telephone  closet  to  that  Susan. 
And  you  go  get  busy  yourself  to  earn  your 
salary  from  the  State  of  Harpeth.  Telegraph 
twenty  dollars  to  that  fool  nurse  to  buy  a 
doll  for  the  girl.  Now  go !  "  That  was  the  way 
that  my  Uncle,  the  General  Robert,  received  my 
news  of  the  improved  health  of  the  back  of  small 
Pierre,  and  with  my  two  eyes  I  shed  a  few 
secret  tears  that  did  roll  down  into  my  mouth 
which  was  broad  from  a  laugh  as  I  went  in 
search  of  my  Buzz. 

"  Bully,  old  top,"  said  my  Bumble  Bee  as  I 
imparted  also  my  joy  to  him.  "  Say,  if  that 
kid  is  eight  years  old  and  is  going  to  walk  all 
right,  we  must  see  to  it  that  she  starts  in  with 
a  good  dancing  teacher  as  soon  as  she  can  spin 
around.  We  want  to  make  a  real  winner  out  of 
her." 

"  I  do  love  you,  my  Buzz,"  I  answered  to 
him  as  I  clung  with  both  my  hands  to  his  arm 
across  my  shoulder. 

"  That's  all  right,  Prince,  but  don't  talk  about 
it,"  he  answered  me  with  a  laugh  and  a  shake. 


Beautiful  Madam  Whitworth      199 

"  And,  say,  let's  get  to  work,  because  at  about 
four  o'clock  I'll  have  something  that'll  give  you 
a  start." 

"  Oh,  but,  my  Buzz,  at  four  o'clock  I  must 
go  for  tea  to  the  home  of  beautiful  Madam 
Whitworth." 

"  Whe-ee-uh ! "  whistled  my  Buzz  as  he 
looked  at  me  from  the  top  of  my  head  to  the 
toe  of  my  shoe. 

"  It  would  give  me  a  much  greater  pleasure 
to  be  startled  by  you,  my  Buzz,  but  this  is  a 
promise  I  did  make  the  last  evening,"  I  pleaded 
to  him. 

"  Go  ahead,  sport,  but  accept  it  from  me  that 
Madam  Pat  is  the  genuine  and  original  pump; 
so  don't  let  her  empty  you.  Do  you  want  me 
to  come  by  and  extract  you  at  about  fifteen  to 
five?  I'm  sorry,  but  I  really  must  have  a  busi 
ness  interview  with  you  before  six."  And  my 
Buzz's  eyes  twinkled  with  something  that  was 
of  a  great  pleasure  to  him  I  could  observe. 

"  It  would  be  of  more  pleasure  to  me  if  you 
came  at  the  half  of  five,  my  Buzz,"  I  made  a 
hurry  to  assure  him,  for  I  had  a  great  dread 
of  all  of  the  falsehoods  I  was  to  say  to  that 


200  The  Daredevil 

Madam  Whitworth  that  afternoon  for  the  pur 
pose  of  extracting  perhaps  a  little  wicked  truth 
from  her  to  help  in  the  defense  of  my  Gouver- 
neur  Faulkner. 

"  I'm  on,"  answered  my  Buzz  promptly. 
"Beat  it!  I  hear  the  old  boy  growling."  And 
he  disappeared  behind  the  door  of  my  Uncle,  the 
General  Robert.  I  went  to  the  duty  of  assuring 
the  nice  gentleman  in  very  rough  clothing  that 
the  Gouverneur  would  in  the  morning  read  the 
paper  on  the  subject  of  making  a  long  road  past 
his  property  in  good  condition  by  a  vote,  and  I 
was  of  a  very  great  success  in  my  efforts,  the 
good  Cato  assured  me. 

"  You's  got  a  fine  oiled  tongue  tied  in  the 
middle  and  loose  at  both  ends,  honey.  Yo' 
father  had  the  same,"  he  assured  me  as  he 
handed  me  my  hat  and  walking  cane  at  the 
hour  of  four,  which  ended  my  duties  for  the  day. 
Roberta,  Marquise  of  Grez  and  Bye,  did  so 
long  to  go  into  that  room  of  the  Gouverneur 
Faulkner  and  receive  upon  her  hand  one  nice 
kiss  of  good  night  from  him,  but  Mr.  Robert 
Carruthers  walked  down  from  the  Capitol  and 
only  paused  to  lift  for  a  little  second  his  very 


Beautiful  Madam  Whitworth     201 

handsome  hat  towards  the  window  of  His 
Excellency's  room  high  up  above. 

And  the  encounter  with  the  beautiful  Madam 
Whitworth  was  much  worse  than  I  had  thought 
that  it  would  be,  though  also  it  was  of  a  very 
interesting  excitement.  She  had  made  arma 
ments  for  the  encounter  in  the  shape  of  a  very 
lovely  tea  apparel  of  an  increditable  thinness  to 
be  used  for  covering,  a  little  low  fire  in  the 
golden  grate,  and  curtains  of  rose  to  throw 
somewhat  of  glow  over  the  situation.  Immedi 
ately  I  was  seated  beside  her  on  a  small  divan 
upon  which  there  was  room  for  only  one  and  a 
half  persons,  and  my  stupidity  was  called  into 
vigorous  action. 

"  I  suppose  you  have  spent  the  day  in  trans 
lating  a  lot  of  those  long  and  tiresome  French 
documents  for  the  General  and  the  Governor. 
Thank  goodness,  that  is  no  longer  my  task,"  she 
remarked  as  she  tipped  the  cognac  bottle  over 
my  tea  and  handed  the  cup  to  me. 

"  It  is  of  a  great  fatigue  to  work  upon  a 
matter  that  one  does  not  at  all  understand,"  I 
answered  her  as  I  sipped  at  that  tea  of  a  very 
disagreeable  taste  because  of  the  cognac. 


202  The  Daredevil 

"  Did  they  give  you  the  two  sets  of  specifica 
tions  to  compare?"  she  asked  of  me  with  not 
much  of  interest  apparent  in  her  manner, 
though  her  hand  shook  as  she  poured  for  her 
self  a  very  small  cup  of  tea,  which  was  then 
filled  complete  with  the  cognac. 

"  Helas"  I  answered  with  a  sigh.  "  And  it 
is  impossible  for  me  to  add  more  figures  to  each 
other  than  my  fingers  will  allow.  I  cannot  even 
use  my  toes." 

'  Then  he  didn't  get  them  ready  for  the  con 
ference  this  afternoon  ?  "  she  demanded  with  a 
great  illumination  of  joy  in  her  face. 

"  Oh,  indeed,  I  handed  them  back  completed 
to  His  Excellency  in  a  short  space  of  time.  Is 
not  one  mule  like  to  another  exactly,  and  why 
should  a  paper  make  them  different  ?"  I  ques 
tioned  with  deceit  of  stupidity. 

"  You  are  a  dear  boy,"  laughed  that  Madam 
Whitworth.  "  Of  course  those  specifications 
agree,  for  I  worked  a  whole  day  over  them;  and 
I'm  glad  you  didn't  tire  your  eyes  out  with 
them.  You  know  you  are  really  a  very  beauti 
ful  creature  and  I  think  I'll  kiss  you  just  once, 
purely  for  the  pleasure  of  it."  And  I  thereupon 


Beautiful  Madam  Whitworth     203 

received  a  kiss  upon  my  lips  from  the  curled 
flower  which  was  the  mouth  of  that  beautiful 
Madam  Whitworth. 

"  Is  it  that  the  stupid  Gouverneur  Faulkner 
must  very  soon  sign  that  paper  that  sends  the 
many  strong  mules  to  carry  food  to  the  soldiers 
of  France  fighting  in  the  trenches?  "  I  asked  of 
her  as  I  made  her  comfortable  in  the  hollow  of 
my  arm. 

"If  he  doesn't  sign  them  in  a  very  few  days 
the  deal  is  all  off,"  she  answered  me.  '  Jeff  has 
got  his  capital  to  put  up  from  some  Northern 
men  who  are  —  are  restless  and  —  and  sus 
picious.  It  must  go  through  and  immediately." 

"  Then  it  must  be  accomplished  immediately," 
I  answered  her  with  decision. 

'  The  agent  of  the  French  Government  will  be 
here  on  Tuesday  and  all  of  these  preliminary 
papers  must  be  signed  before  he  can  close  the 
matter  up  finally.  I  hope  that  the  conference 
over  those  specifications  this  afternoon  will  be 
the  last.  Are  you  sure  you  discovered  no  flaw 
over  which  the  old  General  or  the  big  stupid 
Governor  can  haggle?  " 

"  I  discovered  not  a  flaw,"  I  answered  her 


204  The  Daredevil 

with  a  great  positiveness.  "  Do  you  say  that 
it  is  soon  that  those  representatives  of  my  gov 
ernment  come  to  make  a  last  signing  of  the 
papers  about  the  excellent  mules  to  be  sent  from 
the  great  State  of  Harpeth  to  France  who  is  at 
a  war  of  death?  I  had  not  heard  of  the  near 
ness  of  the  visit  at  the  Capitol." 

"  They  don't  know  it  —  that  is,  Governor 
Faulkner  does,  but  has  told  only  me.  He  sees 
things  my  way  but  of  —  of  course,  he  has  to 
keep  his  councils  from  his  Secretary  of  State 
for  the  time  being.  And  I'm  telling  you  all 
about  it,  because  —  because  it  is  for  France  we 
plot  and  because  I  —  this  is  the  way  to  say  it." 
And  with  those  wicked  words,  which  involved 
the  honor  of  the  great  Gouverneur  Faulkner, 
she  pressed  her  body  close  to  mine  and  her  lips 
upon  my  mouth. 

For  that  caress  of  that  wicked  woman  I  had 
not  sufficient  endurance  and  I  pushed  her  from 
me  with  roughness  and  sprang  to  my  feet. 

"  It  is  not  true,  Madam  Whitworth,  that  —  " 
I  was  exclaiming  when  I  caught  myself  in  the 
midst  of  my  own  betrayal,  just  as  I  was  about 
to  be  shown  into  a  plot  which  it  was  of  much 


Beautiful  Madam  Whitworth     205 

value  to  know.  And  as  my  words  ceased  I  stood 
and  trembled  before  her  wickedness. 

"  Do  you  know,  Mr.  Robert  Carruthers,  I  do 
not  entirely  understand  you,"  she  said  with  a 
great  and  beautiful  calmness  as  she  lighted  a 
cigarette  and  looked  at  me  trembling  before  her. 
"  You  are  a  very  bold  young  cavalier  but  you 
have  the  shrinking  nature  of  —  shall  I  say?  — 
a  French  —  girl!" 

As  she  spoke  those  words,  which  began  in 
sarcasm  but  ended  in  a  queer  uncertain  tone  of 
suspicion,  as  if  she  had  blundered  on  a  reason 
to  soothe  her  vanity  for  the  recoil  of  my  lips 
from  hers,  an  ugly  gleam  shot  from  under  her 
lowered  lashes. 

"  I  am  the  son  of  the  house  of  Carruthers  as 
well  as  of  Grez  and  Bye,  beautiful  Madam,  and 
I  cannot  endure  that  you  put  upon  my  very  good 
Uncle,  the  General  Carruthers,  an  unfriendli 
ness  to  France,"  I  exclaimed  with  a  quickness  of 
my  brain  that  I  had  not  before  discovered. 
"  On  points  of  honor  I  have  that  sensitiveness 
that  you  say  to  be  —  be  of  a  woman." 

"  Oh,  my  darling  boy,  I  didn't  mean  to  hurt 
you  about  that  absurd  old  feud  of  —  "  And  as 


206  The  Daredevil 

she  spoke  the  beautiful  Madam  Patricia  rose 
and  came  upon  me  with  outstretched  arms  for 
another  abhorred  embrace,  which  it  was  to  my 
good  fortune  to  have  interrupted.  But  I  had  a 
fear  of  that  suspicion  I  had  seen  flashed  into 
her  mind  even  though  lulled  by  my  fine  assump 
tion  of  the  attitude  of  a  man  of  honor. 

"  Lovely  and  beautiful  Madam,"  I  made  a 
beginning  to  say,  when  — 

"  Oh,  yes,  Mr.  Carruthers  is  here,  for  I  have 
an  appointment  to  call  for  him,"  an  interruption 
came  in  the  voice  of  my  Buzz  in  remonstrance 
with  the  black  maid  of  Madam  Whitworth  in  the 
hall  of  her  house. 

"  Come  in,  Buzz,  dear,"  called  that  beautiful 
Madam  Whitworth  as  in  one  small  instant  she 
changed  both  her  position  with  arms  on  my 
shoulder  and  her  countenance  of  anger  and 
anxiety.  She  was  a  very  wise  and  beautiful  and 
much  experienced  woman,  was  that  Madam 
Whitworth,  but  she  had  given  to  me,  unlessoned 
as  I  was  in  the  art  of  politics,  the  fact  that  I 
most  wanted:  that  the  two  papers  containing 
the  specifications  concerning  the  mules  had  been 
mistranslated  by  her. 


Beautiful  Madam  Whitworth     207 

"  Put  a  shawl  around  you,  Madam  Pat,  and 
come  out  here  to  the  street  a  minute  to  see  what 
is  going  to  happen  to  the  Prince  of  Carruthers," 
said  my  rescuer  as  he  inserted  his  head  into 
the  room  for  one  little  minute  and  beckoned  us 
to  follow  him. 

And  what  did  I  find  out  there  upon  that 
street? 


CHAPTER  XIII 

BROTHERS  BY  BLOODSHED 

I  then  experienced  a  surprise  that  gave  to  me 
a  very  great  pleasure  and  which  made  my  heart 
to  expand  until  it  almost  burst  the  restraint  of 
that  towel  of  the  bath  under  the  bag  of  my 
brown  cheviot  coat.  Before  the  door  of  the 
house  of  the  beautiful  Madam  Whitworth  stood 
the  gray  racing  car  of  my  Buzz,  and  before  it 
stood  a  slim  car  of  a  similar  make,  only  it  was 
of  the  darkest  amethyst  that  seemed  to  be 
almost  a  black,  while  behind  it  stood  one  of 
equal  if  not  superior  elegance  of  shape  which 
had  the  beautiful  blackness  of  jet.  That  was 
not  all!  Across  the  street  stood  also  a  car  of 
a  golden  brown  and  to  the  front  of  it  one  of  the 
red  of  a  very  dark  cherry. 

:<  There  you  are,"  said  my  Buzz  with  a  wave 
of  his  hand.  "  Pick  one,  with  the  compliments 
of  the  General.  I  think  the  amethyst  is  a 
jewel." 

208 


Brothers  by  Bloodshed  209 

"  Oh,  it  is  not  possible  to  me  to  accept  a 
present  of  such  delight  from  my  good  Uncle, 
the  General  Robert.  I  must  go  to  him  and  say 
that  I  am  not  worthy ! "  I  exclaimed  with  a 
large  faltering  in  my  voice. 

"All  right;  just  jump  into  the  one  you  like 
best  and  drive  on  down  to  the  Old  Hickory 
Club  and  say  it  to  him.  Sorry  that  you  can't 
come  along,  Mrs.  Pat,  but  that  glad  rag  you've 
got  on  is  too  great  a  beauty  with  which  to 
appear  in  public.  Better  take  it  into  the  house 
before  you  catch  a  cold  in  this  breeze." 

"  Yes,  I  must  run  in,"  answered  Madam 
Whitworth  with  a  slight  shivering  in  her  gown 
of  great  thinness.  "  They  are  perfectly  wonder 
ful,  boy,  and  I  say  choose  the  brown  darling." 

"  Governor  Bill  picked  the  cherry  from  the 
catalogue  for  us  day  before  yesterday,  but  I 
think  the  amethyst  has  got  it  beat,"  answered 
my  Buzz  as  he  started  towards  his  own  car. 
"  Jump  into  your  choice  and  lead  me  on  down 
to  hear  you  refuse  it  to  old  Forty-Two 
Centimeter." 

Then  without  further  remark,  I  followed  him 
down  the  steps  and  got  into  that  car  which  was 


210  The  Daredevil 

the  color  of  the  heart  of  the  cherry  and  I  raced 
that  Mr.  Bumble  Bee  through  the  city  of  Hayes- 
ville  in  a  manner  which  put  to  flight  a  large 
population  thereof.  I  had  not  had  my  hands 
on  the  wheel  of  a  racing  car  for  the  many 
months  since  my  father  in  his  had  left  the 
small  Pierre  and  Nannette  and  me  weeping  on 
the  terrace  of  the  Chateau  de  Grez  when  he 
went  to  the  battlefield  of  the  Marne,  and  I 
drove  with  all  of  that  accumulated  fury  within 
me.  And  I  could  see  that  my  Buzz  enjoyed 
it  as  much  as  did  I,  though  in  his  face  was  a 
great  fear  as  several  very  large  policemen  waved 
their  hands  at  us  and  then  savagely  transcribed 
the  numbers  of  his  car  in  books  from  their 
pockets  when  we  whirled  on  with  refusal  to 
stop  and  listen  to  their  remarks. 

And  this  is  what  my  Uncle,  the  General 
Robert,  answered  to  me  as  I  told  him  of  my 
unworthiness  of  his  gift  of  the  most  beautiful 
cherry  car: 

"  That  is  a  just  return  for  your  consideration 
for  me  in  being  born  a  boy,  and  I  hope  you'll 
break  the  necks  of  about  two  dozen  young 
females  in  this  town  before  the  week's  out. 


Brothers  by  Bloodshed  211 

Begin  on  that  baggage,  Susan,  right  away." 
And  as  he  spoke,  my  Uncle,  the  General  Robert, 
came  down  the  steps  of  the  great  Club  of  Old 
Hickory  with  the  Gouverneur  Faulkner  and 
stood  beside  my  Cherry  with  me. 

"  He's  no  better  man  than  I,  General,  and 
I've  been  trying  it  all  year,"  answered  my  Buzz 
with  one  of  those  delectable  grinnings  upon 
his  face. 

"  Indeed,  my  much  loved  Uncle  Robert,  it  is 
impossible  that  I  accept  your  gift  in  gratitude 
that  I  am  not  a  woman,  because  for  the  good 

reason "  and  my  honor  was  about  to  rise 

up  in  arms  and  betray  the  daredevil  and  her 
schemes  within  me  when  that  good  and  most 
beloved  Gouverneur  Faulkner  interrupted  me 
by  stepping  into  the  Cherry  beside  me  with  a 
laugh. 

'  Thank  you,  General ;  this  is  just  what  I 
need  in  all  of  my  business  with  Robert.  We'll 
be  back  in  time  to  dine  with  you  at  seven  here 
at  the  Club.  Go  out  to  the  West  End,  Robert." 
And  with  his  hand  on  the  spark  he  started  the 
Cherry,  and  I  was  forced  to  sweep  away  from 
my  Buzz  and  my  Uncle,  the  General  Robert, 


212  The  Daredevil 

into  the  traffic  and  away  from  the  Club  of  Old 
Hickory,  which  is  named  for  a  very  great  gen 
eral  of  America  and  is  a  club  of  much  fashion 
and  some  bad  behavior,  my  Buzz  has  said  to  me. 

"  I  really  didn't  mean  to  kidnap  you  and  the 
car,  youngster,  but  I've  had  a  pain  under  my 
left  pocket  all  day,  and  I  have  got  to  operate 
on  it.  A  sudden  impulse  told  me  that  it  would 
be  easier  if  I  took  you  with  me  to  —  to  sort  of 
stand  by,"  said  my  beautiful  Gouverneur  Faulk 
ner  in  a  grave  tone  of  voice  as  I  whirled  him 
out  the  broad  avenue  that  led  to  the  west  end 
of  the  city. 

"  Oh,  my  Gouverneur  Faulkner,  is  it  that  you 
are  ill,  perhaps  to  die  by  a  knife?  "  I  exclaimed 
and  for  a  second  I  let  that  wild  Cherry  run 
in  a  very  dangerous  manner  almost  upon 
another  large  car  in  the  act  of  turning  into 
the  street. 

"  No,  not  that,  Robert,"  he  answered  me 
quickly  and  he  laid  his  hand  on  my  arm  beside 
him  for  an  instant  as  if  to  give  a  steadiness  to 
me.  "I  want  you  to  take  me  out  to  the  State 
Prison.  I  want  to  talk  face  to  face  with  a  man 
who  killed  his  own  brother,  in  cold  blood,  it  is 


Brothers  by  Bloodshed  213 

said.  A  pretty  powerful  influence  is  at  me  day 
and  night  for  a  reprieve  and  I  —  I  don't  know 
what  to  do  about  it.  It  is  a  difficult  case.  If 
I  went  in  my  official  capacity  to  see  the  man 
it  might  give  his  friends  undue  hopes;  and  sud 
denly  I  felt  that  I  could  run  away  from  the 
whole  bunch  at  this  hour  of  the  day  and  see 
the  man  himself  without  anybody's  knowing  it 
save  the  superintendent  of  the  prison  and 
myself.  You  don't  count,  because  in  this  case 
you  are  myself." 

"  Always  I  would  be  yourself  to  you,  my 
reverenced  Gouverneur  Faulkner,"  I  made  reply 
to  him  as  I  raised  my  eyes  to  his  deep  ones  that 
smiled  down  into  them. 

"  I  wonder  if  that  is  as  good  as  it  sounds, 
boy,"  asked  my  Gouverneur  Faulkner  gently,  as 
he  looked  down  at  me  with  both  a  laugh  and 
a  sadness  influencing  the  smile  of  his  mouth. 
"  Sometimes  I  badly  need  two  of  myself.  They 
are  at  me  from  waking  to  sleeping  and  I  often 
feel  cut  into  little  bits  and  I  can't  even  say  so. 
In  fact,  youngster,  I'm  squealing  to  you  more 
than  I've  let  myself  do  since  I  became  the  chief 
executive  of  this  State  of  Harpeth.  Now,  turn 


214  The  Daredevil 

off  into  this  road  and  go  straight  ahead.  The 
prison  is  about  a  mile  back  there  at  the  foot  of 
that  hill." 

"  I  —  like  those  squeals,"  I  answered  to  his 
smile  as  I  put  my  Cherry  against  the  spring 
wind  and  raced  down  that  long  road  at  a  great 
speed  that  prevented  any  more  conversation  at 
that  moment.  My  pride  bade  me  show  to  that 
Gouverneur  of  Harpeth  what  good  driving  in  a 
fine  car  I  was  able  to  accomplish. 

Therefore  it  was  not  many  minutes  before 
we  stood  within  the  doors  of  that  very  grim 
and  terrible  home  of  the  human  beings  who 
have  sinned  with  a  great  crime.  I  know  that  I 
am  never  to  forget  that  hour  and  am  to  carry 
forever  the  wound  that  it  inflicted  upon  my 
heart  as  I  walked  through  the  dimness  and 
grayness  and  stillness  of  that  dark  house. 

At  last,  with  many  unlockings  of  heavy  doors 
by  the  director  of  that  prison,  we  stood  in  a 
room  that  was  as  a  cage  in  which  to  keep  the 
human  animal  that  crouched  down  upon  a  hard 
bed  in  one  of  its  corners  and  leaned  a  head 
shaved  bare  of  any  hair  upon  a  very  thin  and 
white  hand. 


Brothers  by  Bloodshed  215 

"  Leave  me,  Superintendent,  for  a  few  min 
utes.  The  young  man  will  stay  by  the  door 
to  let  you  know  when  I  want  you,"  said  that 
Gouverneur  Faulkner  to  the  superintendent, 
who  nodded  and  left  the  room  as  I  took  a 
position  over  beside  the  heavy  iron  bars  that 
swung  together  after  him. 

"  My  man,"  said  the  Gouverneur  Faulkner 
in  a  voice  that  was  so  gentle  as  that  which  a 
mother  uses  to  a  child  in  severe  illness,  "  I 
want  you  to  let  me  sit  down  on  your  cot  beside 
you  and  talk  to  you  about  your  trouble." 

"  Got  nothing  to  say,  parson.  I  done  it  and 
I  want  to  swing  as  quick  as  the  law  sends  me," 
answered  the  poor  human  from  behind  his 
hands  without  even  raising  his  bowed  head. 

"  I  am  not  a  minister,  and  I've  come  to  talk 
to  you  because  some  of  your  neighbors  and 
friends  think  that  there  may  be  a  reason  why 
you  should  not  be  hanged  for  the  death  of  your 
brother.  It  is  my  duty  to  help  them  keep  you 
from  the  penalty  of  the  law,  which  you  may  not 
deserve  even  if  you  desire  it.  Can  you  tell  me 
your  story  as  man  to  man,  with  the  hope  that  it 
will  help  you  to  a  reprieve?  "  And  as  he  spoke 


216  The  Daredevil 

I  observed  a  tone  of  command  come  into  the 
voice  of  my  Gouverneur  Faulkner,  that  was  as 
clear  and  beautiful  as  the  call  of  the  bugle  to 
men  for  a  battle. 

"  I  done  what  I  had  to  and  I'm  ready  to  die 
for  it.  I've  got  nothing  to  say,"  answered  the 
man  with  still  more  of  the  determination  of 
misery  in  his  voice.  "  My  neighbors  don't  know 
nothing  about  it  and  I  don't  want  'em  to.  Just 
let  them  keep  quiet  and  let  it  all  die  when  the 
State  swings  me." 

"  So  there  is  some  secret  about  the  matter 
that  you  are  willing  to  die  to  keep,  is  there?" 
asked  the  Gouverneur  Faulkner  with  a  quick 
ness  of  command  in  his  voice.  "  What  had  your 
brother  done  to  Mary  Brown  that  you  killed 
him  for  doing?  " 

'''  Damn  you,  what's  that  to  you?"  snarled 
the  man  as  he  sprang  up  from  beside  the  Gouv 
erneur  and  leaned,  crouched  and  panting, 
against  the  bars  of  the  cage  in  which  the  three 
of  us  were  inclosed.  "  Who  are  you  anyway  ? 
My  State  has  said  I  was  to  swing  for  killing 
him  and  there's  no  more  to  question  about  it." 

"  I  am  the  Governor  of  your  State,"  answered 


Brothers  by  Bloodshed  217 

that  Gouverneur  Faulkner  as  he  rose  and  stood 
tall  and  commanding  before  the  poor  human 
being  who  was  cowering  as  a  dog  that  had  felt 
the  lash  of  a  whip.  "  You  are  my  son  because 
you  are  a  son  of  the  State  of  Harpeth,  and  as 
a  representative  of  that  State  I  am  going  to 
exercise  my  guardianship  and  if  possible  pre 
vent  the  State  from  the  crime  of  taking  your 
life  if  you  do  not  deserve  punishment." 

"  I'm  condemned  by  the  laws  of  the  State. 
You  can't  go  back  on  that,  Governor  or  no 
Governor,"  made  answer  the  man,  with  a 
panting  of  misery  in  his  voice. 

"  As  you  know,  there  are  certain  unwritten 
laws  which  have  more  influence  in  some  cases 
as  to  the  guilt  of  a  murderer  than  any  on  the 
statute  books,"  said  the  Gouverneur  Faulkner 
with  a  very  great  slowness,  so  that  the  poor 
human  dog  might  comprehend  him.  "  If  you 
killed  your  brother  to  save  —  save  Mary  Brown 
from  worse  than  death,  then  you  have  not  the 
right  to  demand  execution  from  your  State  to 
shelter  her  from  publicity  when  she  is  no  longer 
in  danger  of  anything  worse.  Did  you  get  to 
her  in  time  to  save  her  or  —  " 


218  The  Daredevil 

"  Yes,  good  God,  I  did  and  I  had  —  damn 
you,  now  I'll  have  to  kill  you  for  getting  words 
out  of  me  that  all  the  lawyers  have  tried  to 
make  me  say  all  this  time,"  and  with  the  oath 
and  a  snarl  the  man  made  a  lunge  at  my  Gouv- 
erneur  Faulkner  with  something  keen  and 
shining  that  he  had  drawn  from  the  top  of  his 
coarse  boot.  But  that  poor  human  being  of  the 
prison  was  not  of  enough  quickness  to  do  the 
killing  of  his  desire  in  the  face  of  Roberta, 
Marquise  of  Grez  and  Bye,  who  had  twice  with 
her  foil  pricked  the  red  cloth  heart  of  the  young 
Count  de  Couertoir,  the  best  swordsman  of 
France,  in  gay  combat  in  the  great  hall  of  the 
old  Chateau  de  Grez.  With  my  walking  cane 
of  a  young  gentleman  of  American  fashion, 
which  I  had  taken  with  me  to  call  upon  the 
beautiful  Madam  Whitworth  before  my  Cherry 
had  befallen  me  as  a  gift,  and  which  I  had  with 
out  thought  brought  into  that  prison  with  me, 
I  parried  the  blow  of  the  knife  at  my  beloved 
Gouverneur  Faulkner,  but  not  in  such  a  manner 
as  to  prevent  a  glancing  of  that  knife,  which 
inflicted  a  scratch  of  considerable  depth  upon 
my  forearm  under  its  sleeve  of  brown  cheviot. 


Brothers  by  Bloodshed  219 

"  My  God,  boy !  "  exclaimed  that  Gouverneur 
Faulkner  as  he  caught  the  knife  from  the  floor 
where  it  had  fallen  from  the  hand  of  the  poor 
man  who  had  sunk  down  on  the  cot,  trembling 
and  panting.  "  Two  inches  to  the  left  and  a 
little  more  force  and  the  knife  would  have  stuck 
in  your  heart." 

"  Is  it  not  better  my  heart  than  yours,  my 
great  Gouverneur  Faulkner?  And  behold  it  is 
the  heart  of  neither  and  only  a  small  scratch 
upon  my  humble  arm,  which  will  not  even  pre 
vent  the  driving  of  that  new  Cherry  car,"  I 
answered  him  as  I  put  that  arm  behind  me  and 
pressed  it  close  in  its  sleeve  of  brown  cheviot 
so  that  there  would  be  no  drippings  of  blood. 

"  I  didn't  go  to  hurt  the  young  gentleman 
nor  you  either,  Governor,"  said  the  man  from 
the  cot  as  he  sobbed  and  buried  his  head  in 
his  arms.  "  I  was  always  a  good  man  and 
now  I " 

"  Don't  say  another  word,  Timms,"  inter 
rupted  my  Gouverneur  Faulkner  in  a  voice  that 
was  as  gentle  as  that  father  of  State  which  he 
had  said  himself  to  be  to  Timms.  "  Nobody 
will  know  of  this,  for  your  sake.  I  was  —  was 


220  The  Daredevil 

baiting  you.  I  know  what  I  want  to  know  now 
and  you'll  not  hang  on  the  sixteenth.  The  State 
will  try  you  again.  Call  the  superintendent, 
Robert." 

"  Don't  say  nothing  to  hurt  Mary,  Governor. 
Jest  let  me  hang  and  I  won't  never  care 
what  —  "  the  poor  human  began  to  plead. 

"  I'll  look  after  Mary  —  and  you  too,  Timms. 
I'll  see  to  it  that  —  "  my  Gouverneur  Faulkner 
was  answering  the  trembling  plea  for  his  mercy 
when  the  superintendent  came  in  and  unlocked 
the  cage. 

"  Don't  let  him  know  of  the  —  accident, 
youngster,"  whispered  the  Gouverneur  Faulk 
ner  to  me,  and  in  a  very  few  minutes  we  were 
out  of  that  prison  into  the  Cherry  car,  and 
whirling  with  great  rapidity  down  the  country 
road  with  its  tall  trees  upon  both  sides. 

"  Stop,  Robert,"  commanded  His  Excellency 
as  we  came  under  a  large  group  of  very  old 
trees  which  made  a  thick  shelter  of  their  green 
leaves  as  they  leaned  together  over  the  stone  wall 
that  bordered  the  side  of  the  road.  "  Now  let 
me  see  just  what  did  happen  to  that  arm  which 
came  between  poor  Timms'  sharpened  case  knife 


Brothers  by  Bloodshed  221 

and  my  life.  We  are  out  of  sight  of  the  prison 
now.  It  would  have  all  been  up  with  Timms  if 
that  attack  upon  me  had  been  discovered.  Your 
pluck  will  have  saved  Timms,  if  he's  saved,  as 
well  as  your  Governor.  Here,  turn  towards  me 
and  let  me  see  that  arm."  And  as  he  spoke,  my 
Gouverneur  Faulkner  put  his  arm  across  my 
shoulder  and  turned  me  towards  him  so  that  he 
could  put  his  right  hand  on  the  sleeve  of  that 
cheviot  bag  in  which  was  a  long  slash  from  the 
knife  and  which  was  now  wet  with  my  blood. 

"  I  very  much  fear  my  beloved  brown  cheviot, 
which  I  have  worn  only  a  few  times,  is  now 
dead;  and  how  will  I  find  another  for  my 
need ! "  I  exclaimed  with  a  great  alarm  when 
I  saw  that  that  knife  had  thus  devastated  my 
good  clothing  of  which  I  had  not  many  and  for 
the  procuring  of  which  I  was  many  thousand 
miles  from  my  good  friend  and  tailor  in  New 
York.  If  I  sought  another  suit  in  the  city  of 
Hayesville  might  there  not  be  dangers  of  dis 
coveries  in  the  adjustment  thereof  ?  "  Is  it 
not  a  vexation  ?  "  I  asked  as  the  Gouverneur 
Faulkner  attempted  to  push  back  that  murdered 
sleeve  from  my  forearm. 


222  The  Daredevil 

"  In  the  language  of  my  friend  Buzz,  you  are 
one  sport,  Robert.  Shell  out  of  that  coat  imme 
diately.  I  want  to  see  just  how  much  of  a 
scratch  that  is  and  I  can't  get  the  sleeve  up 
high  enough,"  commanded  my  Gouverneur 
Faulkner.  The  tone  of  his  voice  was  the  same 
he  had  used  to  me  in  commanding  that  I  take 
his  mail  to  his  nice  lady  stenographer,  but  his 
face  was  very  white  and  his  hand  that  he  laid 
upon  the  collar  of  my  coat  for  assisting  me  to 
lay  it  aside  trembled  with  a  great  degree  of 
violence. 

"  Indeed,  my  Gouverneur  Faulkner,  it  is  but 
a  scratch  and  -  " 

"  Get  out  of  that  coat  !  " 


"  Off  with  that  coat,  Robert  !  "  he  commanded 
me,  and  before  I  could  make  resistance,  my  coat 
was  almost  completely  off  of  me  by  his  aid  and  I 
was  obliged  to  let  it  slip  into  his  hands.  He 
laid  it  on  the  back  of  the  seat  behind  him,  and 
with  hands  that  were  as  gentle  as  those  of  old 
Nannette  when  dealing  with  one  of  my  injuries 
of  a  great  number  in  childhood,  he  rolled  up  the 
sleeve  of  my  nice  white  shirt  with  the  brown 


Brothers  by  Bloodshed  223 

strip  of  coloring  in  accord  with  that  beloved 
and  regretted  cheviot,  and  bared  my  forearm, 
which  was  very  strong  and  white  but  which  also 
appeared  to  me  to  be  dangerously  rounded  for 
his  gaze.  I  was  glad  that  that  arm  was  covered 
with  a  nice  gore  which  had  come  from  the  long 
slit  but  which  had  now  well-nigh  ceased  to  run 
from  me,  so  that  he  could  not  observe  that  it 
was  of  such  a  feminine  mould. 

'  Yes,  just  a  deep  scratch  that  I  can  fix  all 
right  myself  in  my  own  bathroom  when  we  get 
back  to  the  Mansion  in  time  for  dinner  with 
the  General  by  seven-thirty,  I  hope/'  said  my 
beloved  Gouverneur  as  he  helped  me  again  to 
assume  the  ruined  garment  of  cheviot.  "  I  was 
born  in  the  mountains  of  the  State  of  Harpeth, 
boy,  where  when  one  man  sheds  his  blood  for  the 
life  of  another,  that  other  is  said  to  be  under 
bond  to  his  rescuer  and  that  means  a  tie  closer 
than  the  ordinary  one  of  brother  by  birth.  I 
acknowledge  the  bond  to  you  for  all  time,  little 
brother.  Now  drive  on  quickly  to  the  Mansion 
before  we  are  in  danger  of  being  late  for  dinner 
with  the  General.  It  will  take  me  some  few 
minutes  to  get  you  out  of  that  shirt  and  into 


224  The  Daredevil 

your  dinner  coat.  I'll  send  for  it  and  you  can 
dress  with  me." 

"  Oh,  no,  my  beloved  Gouverneur  Faulkner ; 
I  must  go  immediately  to  home  and  there  make 
myself  presentable  for  a  dinner  of  some  very 
wonderful  pie  that  my  Buzz  demanded  of  that 
very  lovely  Madam  Taylor  in  my  honor.  That 
nice  black  lady,  Kizzie,  will  with  joy  attend  on 
this  scratch  upon  my  arm,  assisted  by  my  good 
Bonbon,"  I  exclaimed  with  great  alarm  for  fear 
that  that  very  strong  mind  of  my  Gouverneur 
would  command  me  to  make  my  toilet  in  his 
company  in  the  Mansion.  "  Please  do  not 
command  me  that  I  shall  not  so  do." 

"  Of  course,  youngster,  go  to  your  frolic  with 
the  rest  of  the  babes  and  sucklings,  only  remem 
ber  that  I  always  like  to  have  you  with  me, 
but  —  never  command  you  when  it  is  not  your 
pleasure,"  answered  that  Gouverneur  Faulkner 
to  me  with  gentleness. 

"  It  is  always  my  pleasure  to  be  with  you,  my 
Gouverneur,  and  I  do  like  that  you  command 
me,"  I  said  to  him  in  answer  to  that  gentleness 
that  had  something  of  a  sad  longing  in  it  —  for 
that  custard  pie  of  Madam  Taylor,  I  suppose, 


Brothers  by  Bloodshed  225 

of  which  he  had  probably  heard  famous  men 
tion,  but  which  I  would  have  believed  to  have 
been  a  longing  for  Roberta,  Marquise  of  Grez 
and  Bye,  if  I  had  heard  it  so  spoken,  with  an 
English  or  Russian  or  French  accent,  to  me  in 
a  robe  of  tulle  or  sheer  linen.  "  And  may  I 
not  return  immediately  after  that  supper  to  that 
Club  of  Old  Hickory  for  conversation  with  you 
and  my  Uncle,  the  General  Robert?"  I  asked 
with  eagerness. 

"  Boy,  by  the  time  you  have  eaten  that  fatted 
pie  at  the  Taylors'  and  danced  at  least  a  portion 
of  it  off  of  your  system  I'll  be  —  be  burning  the 
midnight  oil  going  over  the  papers  in  the  case 
of  Timms.  I  want  to  weigh  all  the  testimony 
carefully  in  the  case  given  in  Court  about  his 
own  and  his  brother's  relations  with  the  woman 
Mary  Brown.  As  long  as  I  am  the  Governor 
of  the  State  of  Harpeth,  no  honest  man  is  going 
to  swing  for  protecting  a  good  woman  from  the 
outrages  of  a  brute.  And  yet  Timms  confessed 
the  crime  and  denied  the  motive.  Cross-exam 
ining  failed  to  get  the  statement  from  the 
woman  that  would  justify  my  reprieving  or 
pardoning  him.  I  cannot  even  seem  to  dis- 


226  The  Daredevil 

honor  the  proceedings  of  the  courts  of  the 
State  and,  boy,  I'm  just  plain  —  up  —  against 
—  it.  Here  we  are  at  my  own  side  door.  Good 
night,  and  make  a  lightning  toilet  if  you  want 
to  get  to  that  pie  on  time.  Good  night,  again !  " 
And  with  those  words,  which  explained  his  very 
deep  trouble  to  me,  my  Gouverneur  Faulkner 
descended  from  the  seat  beside  me  in  the 
Cherry  to  the  pavement  beside  his  Mansion  and 
bade  me  hurry  from  him. 


CHAPTER  XIV 

TO   BEAR   MEN   AND  TO   SAVE  THEM 

In  going  I  turned  and  looked  back  at  him  to 
see  that  he  was  standing  looking  after  me  with 
a  very  great  weariness  in  the  manner  of  the 
drooping  of  his  shoulders  and  the  sadness  of 
his  face. 

"  Roberta,"  I  said  to  myself,  "  a  woman  who 
so  reverences  and  regards  a  man  as  you  do  that 
Gouverneur  Faulkner  will  find  a  way  to  help 
him  so  that  he  shall  not  suffer  as  he  does  in 
regard  to  not  knowing  with  surety  the  reason 
of  that  Mr.  Timms'  making  a  murder  upon  his 
brother.  What  is  it  that  you  shall  do?" 

And  to  that  question  to  myself  I  found  an 
answer  in  only  two  short  hours  while  partaking 
of  the  very  famous  custard  pie  at  the  table  of 
that  very  lovely  Madam  Taylor. 

All  of  those  very  gay  and  nice  "  babes  and 
sucklings  "  which  the  Gouverneur  Faulkner  had 

227 


228  The  Daredevil 

mentioned,  were  with  me  at  the  table  of  Madam 
Taylor  with  very  much  laughter  and  merriment, 
also  much  conversation.  And  in  that  conversa 
tion  were  very  many  jokes  upon  my  Buzz 
because  he  had  been  transported  to  the  Capitol 
by  my  Uncle,  the  General  Robert,  and  given 
hard  labor  until  almost  the  time  to  arrive  for 
that  nice  supper,  which  he  was  eating  with 
much  hunger.  On  account  of  lateness  he  had 
not  been  able  to  come  to  the  house  of  lovely  Sue 
to  escort  her  with  him  to  the  home  of  Madam 
Taylor.  That  Sue  with  pretended  haughtiness 
was  looking  very  high  above  the  head  of  the 
humble  Buzz. 

'  Well,  it's  not  my  fault  that  Timms  up  and 
biffed  his  brother  into  eternity  all  for  buzzing 
pretty  Mary  Brown,  and  I  don't  see  why  I  had 
to  be  rung  in  to  sort  out  of  a  million  sheets  of 
trial  evidence  the  lies  he  told  about  it,  for  poor 
old  Governor  Bill  to  moil  over  all  night.  I 
say  when  a  man  wants  to  be  hung  as  badly  as 
that,  he  ought  to  get  what  he's  crying  for,  and 
not  butt  in  on  a  perfectly  innocent  man's  after 
noon  fox  trot,"  was  that  Mr.  Buzz  Clenden- 
ning's  wailing  to  all  of  the  company.  "  Look 


To  Bear  Men  and  Save  Them     229 

the  other  way,  Sue,  so  as  not  to  turn  this  muffin 
cold  until  I  get  it  buttered." 

"  I  told  my  washwoman,  who  is  Mary's  sister, 
that  Mary  ought  to  be  made  to  tell  just  what 
did  happen  and  then  it  could  all  be  arranged  so 
that  the  poor  man  could  be  saved  to  her.  I 
think  it  is  hard  on  Mary  to  lose  both  lovers," 
said  that  very  intelligent  Mildred  Summers. 

"  They  live  just  over  beyond  our  back  gate. 
Suppose  we  all  go  and  put  it  up  to  the  attractive 
Mary  to  speak  up  and  keep  Buzz  from  the 
danger  of  overwork  a  second  time,"  said  that 
nice  young  Mr.  Taylor  with  what  I  considered 
a  great  intelligence  but  which  caused  much 
laughter. 

And  at  that  suggestion  which  caused  the 
much  merriment,  that  daredevil  within  Roberta, 
Marquise  of  Grez  and  Bye,  again  arose  and 
commanded  me  to  attention. 

"  Go,  Robert  Carruthers,  and  obtain  that 
paper  of  statement  from  that  Mary,  so  that  your 
chief,  that  good  Gouverneur  Faulkner,  does  not 
work  in  the  night  which  is  for  rest,  and  that 
your  beloved  Buzz  may  not  again  have  to  work 
in  his  afternoon  which  is  for  dancing.  Go  and 


230  The  Daredevil 

find  that  Mary  as  soon  as  this  dinner  is  at  an 
end." 

And  what  was  it  possible  for  me  to  do  but 
to  answer  the  command  of  the  daredevil  person 
within  me?  All  of  which  I  did.  I  made  excuse 
of  myself  on  account  of  a  lie  which  involved  my 
attendance  on  my  Uncle,  the  General  Robert, 
and  departed  after  I  had  had  but  one  nice  slide 
with  the  lovely  Sue,  but  had  obtained  a  promise 
of  one  from  Mademoiselle  Belle  if  I  found  it 
possible  to  return  by  the  hour  of  ten  o'clock. 

After  many  inquiries  at  the  back  of  the  house 
of  Madam  Taylor  in  small  streets  I  was  at  last 
led  to  the  home  of  the  Mary  Brown.  All  was 
dark  \vithin  the  very  small  house,  but  upon  the 
steps,  in  the  light  from  the  moon  and  also  a 
street  arc,  sat  the  person  that  a  man,  of  whom 
I  had  asked  guidance,  said  to  be  the  woman 
whom  I  sought.  She  rested  her  head  in  her 
hands  as  had  done  that  poor  human  in  the 
cage  in  that  State  Prison  and  from  her  I  heard 
the  sounds  of  slow  -weeping. 

"  What  is  it  that  I  shall  say  to  her?  "  I  asked 
of  myself.  And  then  suddenly  something 
answered  from  within  me  from  the  same  place 


To  Bear  Men  and  Save  Them     231 

that  had  arisen  that  knowledge  to  spring  in 
between  my  Gouverneur  Faulkner  and  the  bright 
knife  I  had  not  even  seen.  That  place  is  located 
in  the  heart  of  Roberta,  Marquise  of  Grez  and 
Bye,  and  not  in  that  daredevil. 

"  Mary  Brown,"  I  said  to  her  with  all  of  the 
gentleness  in  my  voice  that  was  commanded  by 
my  sympathy  for  her,  "  if  a  person  were  going 
to  kill  with  a  rope  the  man  I  loved  I  would  lay 
down  my  own  life  that  he  should  live.  If  you 
write  one  little  paper  to  say  that  he  murdered 
in  defense  of  you,  the  good  Gouverneur  Faulk 
ner  will  save  him  to  you.  Give  to  me  that 
paper." 

"  Go  away,"  she  moaned  as  she  shook  her 
head  and  cried  into  her  arms. 

"  See,  Mary :  Here  is  the  pencil  and  the 
paper  to  write  the  words  of  life  for  Timms  to 
that  Gouverneur  Faulkner,"  I  said  as  I  seated 
myself  beside  her  and  extracted  my  notebook 
and  pencil  from  the  pocket  of  my  overcoat 
where  I  had  placed  them  on  leaving  my  room 
as  is  always  best,  I  deemed,  for  a  secretary. 
'  There  are  just  two  things  that  are  the  duty  of 
women,  Mary:  to  bear  men  and  to  save  them. 


232  The  Daredevil 

Save  yours  now,  Mary.  Much  will  happen,  it 
may  be;  but  that  Timms  is  a  good  man  and 
must  live." 

"  I  dassent.    He  told  me  not  to,  Timms  did." 

"  If  a  knife  was  aimed  at  Timms'  heart, 
wrould  you  not  throw  yourself  between  him  and 
its  cut,  Mary,  even  though  commanded  by  him 
not  to  so  save  him?" 

"Yes!" 

"  The  knife  is  aimed  and  here's  the  paper  by 
which  you  can  throw  your  person  on  that  knife. 
Is  it  of  such  moment  that  it  cut  into  your  own 
heart,  that  you  stand  and  let  it  give  death  to 
him?" 

"I  give  up!  I  give  up,  Mister!  I  can't  let 
nobody  murder  him.  Nobody  ever  put  it  that 
way  to  me.  Give  me  that  paper  and  let  me  git 
to  him  fer  jest  one  minute  to-morrow,"  she 
made  answer  to  me  as  she  seized  the  paper  and 
pencil  and  began  to  write  with  the  paper  spread 
beside  her  upon  the  step. 

"  I  will  myself  send  you  in  my  car  with  good 
black  Kizzie  to  see  Timms  to-morrow,  Mary," 
I  promised  her  while  she  wrote. 

"  I  got  ter  get  my  arms  around  his  neck  once 


To  Bear  Men  and  Save  Them     233 

more  'fore  he  kills  me  fer  telling,"  she  answered 
as  she  signed  her  name  to  the  paper  and  handed 
it  to  me. 

"  Place  those  arms  in  that  position,  Mary, 
before  telling  him  of  your  action  and  all  will  be 
well,"  I  advised  of  her  with  much  wisdom. 

"Will  that  do,  Mister?"  she  asked  with 
anxiety  as  I  began  to  fold  the  paper. 

On  that  paper  she  had  written: 

"  Hen  Timms  had  locked  me  in  the  room 
and  was  forcing  me  when  Gabe  broke  in 
and  got  me  away  from  him.  He  had  to 
bust  his  head  with  a  flatiron  to  make  him 
let  go  of  me.  I  am  a  good  woman. 

Mary  Brown  " 

"  Yes,  good  Mary,  this  will  shield  Timms 
from  that  knife,  I  feel  a  certainty,  and  I  will 
send  for  you  and  see  that  you  go  to  an  interview 
with  him  at  ten  o'clock  of  the  to-morrow  morn 
ing.  And  now  good  night,  with  great  respect 
to  you  for  a  brave  woman,"  I  said  as  I  rose 
to  my  feet. 

"  Who  are  you,  Mister,  that  have  spoke  to 


234  The  Daredevil 

my  heart  like  they  ain't  nobody  spoke  to  its 
suffering  yet,  though  you  ain't  said  many  words 
and  them  is  curious  like?"  she  asked  of  me  as 
I  prepared  to  take  a  hurried  departure. 

"  I  am  the  secretary  of  the  Gouverneur 
Faulkner,  Mary,  and  —  and  —  I  know  —  how 
women  —  love  —  men.  I  —  " 

"  I  bet  a  many  of  'em  have  loved  you,  God 
bless  your  sweet  eyes.  Good  night,  sir !  " 

And  with  those  kind  words  from  the  poor 
female,  who  was  beginning  again  to  sob  but 
with  another  motive  in  her  weeping,  I  took  my 
departure  down  the  street  —  or  up  —  I  did  not 
know  in  just  which  direction.  I  had  the  inten 
tion  of  returning  to  the  house  of  Madam  Taylor 
to  obtain  the  Cherry,  which  I  had  left  standing 
before  her  door,  and  in  it  convey  the  message 
to  my  Gouverneur  Faulkner  that  should  bring 
relief  to  his  anxiety,  but  I  soon  found  that  I 
had  lost  myself  upon  streets  that  I  had  never 
seen  before. 

What  was  it  that  I  should  do?  My  heart 
suffered  that  my  Gouverneur  Faulkner  should 
not  know  the  relief  of  that  paper  I  had  in  the 
pocket  of  my  dinner  coat,  but  I  could  not  find 


To  Bear  Men  and  Save  Them     235 

myself  and  I  did  not  know  exactly  what  ques 
tions  I  should  ask.  Then  I  bethought  me  of 
that  telephone,  which  in  America  is  so  much 
used,  but  not  in  France.  I  entered  into  a  store 
for  medicines  upon  the  corner  of  one  of  the 
streets  in  my  wandering,  looked  diligently  in  a 
book  to  find  the  number  for  the  Mansion  of  the 
Gouverneur,  and  after  many  tellings  of  my 
desire,  at  last  my  Gouverneur  Faulkner  made 
an  answer  in  my  ear  that  was  as  beautiful  in 
voice  as  the  words  he  spoke  to  me  in  his 
presence. 

"Well?  "he  asked  of  me. 

''  This  is  Robert  Carruthers  who  speaks." 

"  Oh,  all  right,  youngster.  How  did  the  fatted 
pie  go?  " 

'  That  was  a  very  nice  pie,  Your  Excellency, 
and  I  have  a  paper  from  that  Mary  Brown 
concerning  the  murder  of  the  brother  of  good 
Timms  for  cruelty  to  Mary.  I  wish  to  give  it 
to  you." 

'  What  do  you  mean,  boy?  " 

"  I  have  said  it." 

'  Then  bring  it  here  to  me  at  once  and  tell 
me  how  you  got  it." 


236  The  Daredevil 

"  I  cannot  come  to  you." 

"Then  I'll  come  to  you.     Where  are  you?" 

"  I  do  not  know.     I  am  lost." 

"  God,  boy,  what  do  you  mean?  " 

"  I  am  in  a  store  of  medicine  that  is  many 
streets  from  that  house  of  good  Mary  Brown, 
and  also  from  the  house  of  Madam  Taylor.  I 
have  the  intention  of  calling  on  the  telephone 
my  faithful  Bonbon  and  asking  that  he  come 
and  find  me  and  deliver  me  to  the  home  of 
Madam  Taylor  and  from  thence  transport  this 
paper  to  you  that  you  go  to  sleep  for  a  much 
needed  rest." 

"  You  helpless  young  idiot,  call  a  taxi  and 
come  right  here  to  me." 

"  I  am  promised  to  a  dance  with  Mademoiselle 
Belle  by  the  hour  of  ten,  of  which  it  lacks  now 
only  a  quarter.  Cannot  I  go  in  that  taxicab, 
which  it  is  of  much  intelligence  of  you  to  suggest 
to  me,  and  send  by  that  taxicab  to  you  the  paper 
from  Mary  Brown  while  I  stay  to  dance  that 
dance? " 

"  Well  I'll  be  —  no,  I  can't  say  it  over  the 
telephone." 

"  What  is  it,  my  Gouverneur  Faulkner  ?  " 


To  Bear  Men  and  Save  Them     237 

"  I'll  say  it  in  the  morning  to  you  in  person. 
I'll  just  hold  up  the  wheels  of  state  until  that 
dance  is  over.  Go  ahead,  youngster;  call  the 
taxi  and  get  back  to  Belle.  I'll  have  Jenkins 
waiting  at  the  Taylor's  to  get  the  paper  and 
you  can  —  can  tell  me  all  about  it  in  the  morn 
ing.  Will  nine  o'clock  be  too  early  to  call  you 
from  —  your  rosy  dreams  ?  " 

"  I  do  not  have  coffee  until  nine  o'clock,  my 
Gouverneur  Faulkner,  and  I  do  not  make  a  very 
hurried  toilet,  but  I  will  come  to  you  at  the 
Capitol  at  that  nine  o'clock  if  you  so  command  — 
very  gladly." 

"  Oh,  no,  we'll  all  of  us  just  —  just  cool  our 
heels  until  you  get  your  coffee  and  toilet.  Don't 
hurry,  I  beg  of  you!  Good  night,  anu  beat  it 
to  Belle,  as  Buzz  would  say.  Good  night,  you  — 
you  —  but  I'll  say  it  all  in  the  morning  if  it 
takes  a  half  day.  Good  night  again."  And 
with  that  parting  salutation  my  Gouverneur 
Faulkner's  voice  died  from  the  telephone  with 
what  I  thought  had  the  sound  of  a  very  nice 
laugh. 

That  Mademoiselle  Belle  Keith  is  a  dancer  of 
the  greatest  beauty,  and  also  is  the  homely 


238  The  Daredevil 

Mildred  Summers.  The  two  hours  until  mid 
night  at  the  home  of  my  lovely  Madam  Taylor 
seemed  as  one  short  half  of  an  hour  to  me.  I 
also  had  the  pleasure  of  conducting  the  nice 
Belle  home  in  the  Cherry  so  that  I  could  make 
a  fine  display  to  her  of  my  skill  with  a  motor. 
In  France  it  would  be  of  a  great  scandal  to 
allow  a  beautiful  jeune  fille,  as  is  that  Belle, 
and  a  nice  gentleman,  such  as  I  declare  Mr. 
Robert  Carruthers  to  be,  to  go  out  into  the 
midnight  alone  and  unattended;  but  is  it  that 
in  America  the  gentlemen  are  of  a  greater 
virtue  than  in  France,  or  is  it  that  the  ladies 
have  that  great  virtue?  I  do  not  know,  but  I 
declare  it  to  be  of  much  interest  to  remark. 

"  You'll  find  old  Forty-Two  Centimeter  firing 
off  overtime,  L'Aiglon,  because  when  the  Whit- 
worth  gang  got  caught  up  on  those  specifications 
they  side-stepped  with  another  proposition  and 
he's  scouting  for  holes  in  it.  Better  climb  the 
grapevine  into  bed  and  side-step  him,"  advised 
Buzz  to  me  while  we  waited  beside  our  cars  for 
the  beautiful  Belle  and  beautiful  Sue. 

"  Much  gratitude  for  your  advice,  and  good 
night,"  I  called  to  him  as  we  separated  the 


To  Bear  Men  and  Save  Them     239 

Cherry  and  the  Gray  and  went  in  diverse 
directions. 

I  understood  that  "  climb  the  grapevine  into 
bed  "  to  mean  entering  my  home  and  that  of  my 
Uncle,  the  General  Robert,  with  much  stealth 
and  that  thing  I  did,  dropping  into  a  deep  sleep 
in  the  moment  of  inserting  myself  between  the 
sheets  of  that  bed. 

And  when  I  awakened,  because  of  that  much 
dancing,  behold,  it  was  ten  of  the  clock  and 
eleven  thereto  before  I  arrived  in  a  very  great 
hurry  with  much  pinkness  of  cheeks  in  the  office 
of  the  Gouverneur  Faulkner  at  the  Capitol  of 
the  State  of  Harpeth. 

And  in  that  office  I  also  discovered  my  Uncle, 
the  General  Robert,  performing  the  action  of  the 
forty-two  centimeter  gun  with  words  about  my 
extreme  lateness. 

"  You  young  fox  trotter,  you,  I'd  break  every 
bone  in  your  body  if  I  wasn't  so  damned  proud 
of  you,"  he  exploded  directly  in  front  of  me. 

"  General,  if  you'll  let  me  take  Robert  into 
his  office  for  five  minutes  alone  I'll  help  you  take 
the  hide  off  of  him  later,"  said  that  Gouverneur 
Faulkner  as  he  beamed  the  great  kindness  to 


240  The  Daredevil 

me.  ''  Just  stay  here  and  get  that  Timms  pardon 
crowd  ready  to  hear  the  news  of  Mary's  con 
fession  and  I'll  tell  you  all  about  it  when  I've 
settled  with  Robert." 

"  Very  well,  sir,  very  well,"  answered  my 
Uncle,  the  General  Robert,  with  a  further 
explosion  of  words.  "  I'll  also  expect  you  to 
give  him  commands  about  this  dance  the  young 
females  in  this  town  are  leading  him."  With 
which  my  Uncle,  the  General  Robert,  himself 
went  into  the  anteroom  and  left  me  alone  with 
the  beloved  Gouverneur  Faulkner. 

"  Good  morning,  Robert,"  he  said  to  me  with 
a  laugh  as  he  came  and  stood  close  beside  me. 
That  Roberta,  Marquise  of  Grez  and  Bye,  will 
blush  within  me,  when  that  beloved  Gouverneur 
comes  very  close  beside  her,  in  a  way  that  is  an 
embarrassment  to  Robert  Carruthers,  his  secre 
tary.  "  And  now  tell  me  what  you  said  to  that 
stupid  Mary  Brown  that  made  her  see  the 
light,"  he  asked  me  with  his  fine  eyes  looking 
into  mine  with  a  great  interest  and  something 
of  admiration. 

"  I  asked  of  her  if  she  would  not  throw  herself 
before  that  beloved  good  Timms  if  a  knife  was 


To  Bear  Men  and  Save  Them     241 

aimed  at  his  heart;  and  she  perceived  from  that 
question  that  she  must  give  to  me  the  paper. 
A  heart  that  has  felt  a  great  tragedy  draw  near 
a  beloved  one  can  speak  without  words  to 
another  who  sees  also  a  beloved  in  danger.  Is  it 
that  you  slept  in  ease,  my  Gouverneur  Faulkner, 
after  you  had  received  that  paper?  It  grieved 
me  that  you  should  sit  at  work  while  I  was  at 
dancing,"  I  answered  to  him  as  I  drew  nearer 
and  laid  my  hand  with  timidity  upon  the  sleeve 
of  his  coat. 

"  My  God,  boy,  do  they  grow  many  like  you 
in  France  ? "  was  the  answer  that  the  great 
Gouverneur  Faulkner  made  to  me  as  he  looked 
down  into  the  adoration  of  my  eyes  raised  to  his, 
with  a  question  that  was  of  deep  bewilderment. 

"  France  has  grown  many  young  and  fine 
men  who  —  who  die,  my  Gouverneur  Faulkner 
for  her  in  the  trenches,  where  I  must  soon  go," 
I  answered  him  with  my  head  drawn  to  its 
entire  height  in  the  likeness  of  the  old  Marquis 
of  Grez  and  Flanders. 

"  When  you  go  into  the  trenches  of  France, 
youngster,  the  State  of  Harpeth  will  have  a 
Governor  on  leave  in  the  same  trench,"  answered 


242  The  Daredevil 

me  that  Gouverneur  Faulkner  with  a  very 
gentle  hand  laid  on  the  sleeve  of  my  coat  above 
the  bandages  of  my  wound,  and  a  glow  of  the 
star  in  his  eyes.  "  Brothers  by  bloodshed, 
Marquis  of  Grez  and  Bye." 

"  Roberta,  Marquise  of  Grez  and  Bye,  how 
will  you  even  gain  the  refuge  of  your  petti 
coats  and  get  away  from  these  lies  of  dishonor 
if  you  are  to  be  so  pursued  by  —  "  I  was  asking 
of  myself  when  my  Uncle,  the  General  Robert, 
opened  the  door  and  said: 

"  Better  see  this  pardon  delegation  now, 
Governor.  That  other  matter  is  going  to  go 
to  hell  as  fast  as  it  can  if  we  don't  scotch  it. 
Robert,  get  those  letters  on  your  desk  into 
United  States  as  quickly  as  possible.  That 
French  deluge  is  upon  us.  Come  back  as  soon 
as  you  can."  With  which  I  was  dismissed  into 
my  own  small  anteroom. 

And  what  did  I  find  in  those  letters? 


"BEHOLD,  I  AM  A  SPY!" 

As  I  sat  and  held  in  my  hand  those  papers 
in  which  were  two  long  messages,  the  one 
written  in  a  very  poor  English  and  the  other 
in  a  very  elegant  French,  the  woman  Roberta, 
Marquise  of  Grez  and  Bye,  trembled  with  fear 
of  a  discovery  of  her  woman's  estate  while  that 
daredevil  Robert  Carruthers  raged  within  and 
also  turned  with  a  deadly  hatred  and  distrust 
of  the  greatest  gentleman  that  le  bon  Dieu  had 
ever  given  to  him  to  know.  It  was  as  I  say, 
and  for  this  reason:  In  the  letters  were 
announcements  of  the  arrival  of  the  Lieutenant, 
Count  Edouard  de  Bourdon,  on  that  Tuesday 
which  the  Madam  Whitworth  had  mentioned. 
They  were  written  with  great  ceremony  to  my 
Uncle,  the  General  Robert  Carruthers,  as  Secre 
tary  of  the  State  of  Harpeth,  to  give  to  him 
that  information  to  be  conveyed  to  His  Excel- 

243 


244  The  Daredevil 

lency,  the  Gouverneur  Faulkner,  in  due  form 
though  he  already  had  that  information. 

"  They  make  into  a  fool  my  revered  Uncle, 
the  General  Robert  Carruthers,  who  would  keep 
his  State  and  the  Gouverneur  of  that  State  from 
dishonor !  "  I  exclaimed  to  myself  in  my  rage. 
"  And  this  woman  thinks  to  play  with  the  life 
of  French  soldiers  as  she  has  with  that  same 
Gouverneur  Faulkner,  does  she?  No,  there  is 
Roberta,  Marquise  of  Grez  and  Bye,  who  is  a 
soldier  of  her  Republique  by  appointment  from 
the  great  Capitaine,  the  Count  de  Lasselles,  to 
both  watch  and  further  the  interests  of  France, 
whom  she  must  meet  in  combat  first ! " 

And  as  I  said  these  words  to  myself  I  made 
a  rapid  writing  of  both  papers  and  with  them 
asked  admittance  to  the  room  of  that  false 
Gouverneur  Faulkner,  who  had  just  dismissed 
the  good  men  who  had  come  to  thank  him  for 
his  mercy  shown  to  that  poor  creature  Timms. 

"  Walk  right  in,  sir,"  said  old  Cato  to  me 
as  he  gave  a  low  bow  of  very  great  courtesy. 
Then  he  looked  with  eyes  of  great  keenness  into 
my  stormy  face.  "  Make  a  cross  on  the  floor 
with  that  hoodoo  in  your  shoe,  little  mas',  ef 


1  Behold,  I  Am  a  Spy!'          245 

you  git  in  danger  or  need  of  luck,"  he  whispered 
to  me,  coming  very  close.  And  as  he  directed 
I  so  performed  at  the  very  entrance  of  the 
audience  chamber  of  the  great  Gouverneur  of 
the  State  of  Harpeth.  Then,  with  a  fine  relief 
on  his  face,  good  Cato  flung  open  the  door 
and  announced  me  with  great  ceremony. 

In  that  room  I  found  my  Uncle,  the  General 
Robert,  and  the  Gouverneur  Faulkner  in  deep 
consultation  and  they  both  turned  towards  me 
with  anxiety  in  their  faces. 

"What  did  you  make  of  the  letters,  boy?" 
asked  my  Uncle,  the  General  Robert,  with  keen 
anxiety.  The  great  Gouverneur  was  silent  and 
for  the  first  time  since  I  had  looked  into  his  face 
my  eyes  did  not  glance  in  his  direction. 

'  They  both  announce  the  arrival  on  Tuesday 
of  the  Lieutenant,  the  Count  de  Bourdon,  to 
sign  the  contracts  concerning  the  mules  to  be 
sold  by  the  State  of  Harpeth  to  the  Republique 
of  France,  sir,"  I  answered  in  a  cold  and 
formal  voice  and  then  stood  at  an  attention  for 
any  more  questions. 

"  The  devil  they  do ! "  exclaimed  my  Uncle, 
the  General  Robert,  while  still  the  Gouverneur 


246  The  Daredevil 

Faulkner  was  silent.  "  Do  they  give  no  excuse 
for  being  nearly  ten  days  ahead  of  time,  sir  ?  " 

"  No,  honored  Uncle,"  I  answered.  "  Madam 
Whitworth  said  to  me  that  the  Gouverneur 
Faulkner  had  set  that  date  for  the  arrival  of  the 
Commission,  and  had  so  informed  her;  and  I 
think  that  to  be  the  reason  for  absence  of  such 
excuses."  And  as  I  made  that  answer,  which 
was  one  of  great  impertinence  from  a 
secretary  to  a  chief  who  was  a  great  gouv- 
erneur,  I  looked  with  cold  calmness  into  the 
dark  star  eyes  under  their  black  lashes,  which 
were  darting  lightnings  of  anger  at  my  words. 

"God!"  exclaimed  my  Uncle,  the  General 
Robert  Carruthers,  and  he  turned  white  with  a 
trembling  as  he  faced  the  lightning  in  those 
eyes  of  the  stars.  But  it  was  not  to  his  Secre 
tary  of  State  that  the  great  Gouverneur  Faulk 
ner  made  his  denial  but  to  his  humble  secretary, 
Robert  Carruthers,  who  looked  without  fear 
into  the  very  depths  of  those  lightnings. 

'  This  is  the  first  time  I  have  heard  of  a 
change  of  date  for  the  arrival  of  the  commis 
sion,  Robert,"  he  said  in  a  calm  voice  as  for  a 
second  his  eyes  held  mine,  a  second  which  was 


"Behold,  I  Am  a  Spy!'         247 

sufficient  for  a  truth  to  pass  from  his  heart 
and  still  the  storm  in  mine.  I  did  not  understand 
all  that  his  eyes  said  of  a  great  hurt  but  I  knew 
that  what  he  spoke  was  true  and  would  always 
be. 

"  And  what  were  you  doing  gossiping  with 
that  lying  hussy,  sir  ? "  demanded  my  Uncle, 
the  General  Robert,  with  instant  belief  in  the 
word  of  that  Gouverneur  Faulkner,  turning 
his  anger  upon  me,  who  stood  and  took  it  with 
such  a  joy  in  my  heart  from  the  truth  that  had 
come  into  it  from  those  eyes  of  the  night  stars, 
that  I  did  not  even  feel  its  violence. 

r(  Vive  la  France  and  the  State  of  Harpeth ! 
Behold,  I  am  a  spy ! "  I  answered  him  as  I 
drew  myself  to  my  greatest  height  and  gave  the 
salute  which  his  old  soldiers  give  to  him  at  that 
raising  of  the  banner  of  the  Cause  that  he  had 
lost  in  his  youth. 

'  You  young  daredevil,  you,  I'm  a  great  mind 
to  break  every  bone  in  your  body,  as  I  have  said 
before,"  he  said  to  me,  but  I  could  see  a  smile 
of  pride  making  a  lightning  of  the  gloom  in  his 
countenance  over  the  trouble  of  his  affairs  of 
state.  "  You  keep  away  from  —  " 


248  The  Daredevil 

"  Robert,"  was  the  interruption  made  by  my 
great  beloved  Gouverneur  Faulkner,  "  upon  you 
will  fall  the  task  of  making  the  plans  for  the 
entertainment  of  this  countryman  of  yours.  The 
General  and  I  will  be  too  busy  getting-ready-to- 
meet-them-on-their-own-grounds  to  give  any  time 
to  that.  Remember,  they  will  have  to  be  shown 
the  best  grazing  land  in  the  valley,  in  motor 
cars.  When  they  are  done  sizing  us  up,  we'll 
be  ready  for  them.  The  Count  and  his  secre 
taries  will,  of  course,  be  entertained  at  the 
Mansion  and  you  can  make  arrangements  at  the 
hotel  for  the  rest  of  the  suite.  Also  will  you 
please  instruct  my  servants,  from  Cato  down, 
how  to  make  them  comfortable  and,  Robert, 
will  you  confer  with  Mrs.  Whitworth,  who,  as 
the  wife  of  the  Treasurer  of  the  State  of  Har- 
peth  while  neither  the  General  nor  I  have  wives, 
must  be  considered  as  the  official  social  repre 
sentative  of  the  State,  as  to  what  form  the 
official  entertainments  must  take?"  And  as  he 
asked  that  question  of  me  my  Gouverneur 
Faulkner  did  not  so  much  as  glance  at  my  Uncle, 
the  General  Robert,  who  gave  an  exclamation 
of  contempt  in  his  throat  as  he  began  a  reading 


"Behold,  I  Am  a  Spy!'         249 

of  the  two  papers  which  I  had  handed  to  him. 

"  Also  I  suppose  this  means  I  must  give  up  all 
hope  of  services  from  that  fly-up-the-creek,  Clen- 
denning,"  he  grumbled  as  he  read. 

"  I  will  do  as  you  bid  me,  my  Gouverneur 
Faulkner,  in  all  things,  and  I  will  be  much 
helped  by  both  my  excellent  Buzz  and  the  beau 
tiful  Madam  Whitworth,"  I  made  answer  to 
the  question  and  command  given  to  me  by  the 
Gouverneur  Faulkner,  and  as  I  mentioned  the 
name  of  that  lady  I  lowered  my  eyes  to  the 
floor  and  waited  for  my  dismissal.  I  did  not 
want  to  look  into  his  eyes,  for  I  did  not  know 
even  then  if  I  might  not  find  that  Madam  Whit- 
worth  there.  I  only  knew  that  whatever  she 
did  or  was  to  him,  his  honor  was  inviolable. 

"  Well,  get  to  it  all,"  commanded  my  Uncle, 
the  General  Robert.  "  Get  vouchers  for  what 
you  spend  and  pay  with  State  Department 
checks.  Don't  blow  in  a  fortune,  you  young 
spendthrift,  you,  but  also  remember  that  the 
State  of  Harpeth  is  one  of  the  richest  in 
America  and  knows  how  to  show  France  real 
hospitality." 

"  That    State    of    Harpeth    has    shown    that 


250  The  Daredevil 

hospitality  to  one  humble  youth  of  France,  my 
Uncle  Robert,  who  has  a  great  gratitude,"  I 
made  answer  to  him  as  I  laid  my  cheek  upon 
the  sleeve  of  his  coat,  which  was  of  a  cut  in 
the  best  style  for  gentlemen  of  his  age  but 
always  of  that  Confederate  gray,  likewise 
affected  by  good  Cato.  Try  as  hard  as  Robert 
Carruthers  will,  he  cannot  force  that  Roberta, 
Marquise  of  Grez  and  Bye,  at  all  times  to 
refrain  from  a  caress  to  the  Uncle  whom  she  so 
greatly  loves. 

"  Clear  out,  sir !  Depart !  "  was  the  response 
I  got  to  that  caress;  but  always  that  wicked 
Roberta,  Marquise  of  Grez  and  Bye,  finds  in 
the  face  of  her  relative  something  that  assures 
her  that  she  can  so  venture  at  a  later  time. 

And  as  I  turned  away  from  that  coldness  on 
the  part  of  my  august  relative  I  found  a  glow 
of  warmth  for  my  reviving  in  the  eyes  of  my 
beautiful  Gouverneur  Faulkner,  who  held  out 
his  hand  to  me  as  I  started  to  the  door  for  that 
departure  commanded  me. 

"  Blood  brothers  never  doubt  each  other, 
Robert,"  he  said  to  me  as  with  one  hand  he 
grasped  my  right  hand  and  laid  the  other  on  my 


'Behold,  I  Am  a  Spy!'         251 

arm  above  my  bandage,  over  the  wound  Timms 
had  given  to  me,  which  was  now  almost  entirely 
healed. 

With  the  quickness  of  lightning  I  laid  my 
cheek  against  the  sleeve  of  his  coat,  in  exactly 
the  caress  I  had  given  to  my  Uncle,  the  General 
Robert,  and  then  did  depart  with  an  equal 
rapidity. 

"  Can  you  beat  him,  Bill?  "  I  heard  my  Uncle, 
the  General  Robert,  demand  as  I  closed  the  door. 

"  Impossible,"  was  the  answer  I  thought  was 
returned. 

And  from  that  audience  chamber  I  went 
quickly  and  alone  in  my  good  Cherry  to  Twin 
Oaks,  was  admitted  by  Bonbon,  whom  I 
instructed  not  in  any  way  to  allow  that  I  be 
interrupted,  ascended  to  my  own  apartment  and 
seated  myself  in  a  large  chair  before  the  glow 
ing  ashes  of  a  small  fire  of  fragrant  chip  twigs, 
which  kind  Madam  Kizzie  had  had  lighted, 
against  what  she  called  a  "  May  chill,"  during 
my  toilet  of  the  morning.  Above  me  from  the 
mantelshelf,  that  Grandmamma  Carruthers 
looked  down  with  her  great  and  noble  smile, 
while  the  flame  in  her  eyes  seemed  to  answer 


252  The  Daredevil 

that  in  my  soul  as  I  communed  with  myself. 

"  What  is  it  that  you  will  now  do,  Roberta, 
Marquise  of  Grez  and  Bye?  "  I  asked  of  myself 
with  a  slight  shaking  of  my  knees  in  their 
cheviot  trousers.  "  It  is  hardly  possible  that  you 
will  escape  from  revealing  your  woman's  estate 
to  this  Frenchman  of  your  own  class.  Here  all 
mistakes  of  a  man's  estate  are  forgiven  you  and 
laid  to  the  fact  of  your  being  an  alien,  but  that 
Lieutenant,  Count  de  Bourdon,  will  ask  questions 
of  you  and  perhaps  has  a  knowledge  of  your 
relatives  and  friends  —  indeed,  must  have.  Also, 
already  that  wicked  Madam  Whitworth  enter 
tains  suspicions  of  you.  What  is  it  that  you 
will  do?" 

And  after  I  had  asked  myself  for  a  second 
time  that  question  I  sat  and  looked  into  the 
eyes  of  that  Grandmamma  Carruthers  for  many 
long  moments  and  had  an  argument  with  myself ; 
then  I  answered  to  her  as  I  rose  to  my  feet  so 
that  my  eyes  came  more  nearly  on  a  level  with 
hers: 

"  No,  Madam  Ancestress,  born  of  her  whom 
not  an  Indian  or  a  fierce  bear  could  frighten 
away  from  her  duty  of  protection  to  those  of  her 


"Behold,  I  Am  a  Spy!'         253 

affections,  I  will  not  flee.  I  will  stay  here  by 
the  side  of  my  Uncle,  the  General  Robert,  and 
my  great  chief,  that  Gouverneur  Faulkner,  to 
fight  for  their  honor  and  to  protect  France 
from  robbery.  Then,  if  I  be  discovered  and  can 
do  no  more  for  them,  I  will  go  from  their 
presence  quickly  in  the  night  and  be  lost  in  the 
trenches  of  France  before  I  am  detained.  And 
if  it  be  that  I  am  not  discovered  before  all  is 
made  well  concerning  those  mules  for  trans 
portation  of  food  to  the  soldiers  of  France,  then 
I  will  still  go  away  to  the  battlefields  of  France 
before  it  is  discovered  by  all  who  have  given 
affection  to  Robert  Carruthers,  that  he  is  a  — 
lie.  I  will  leave  love  for  me  and  for  France  in 
all  of  these  kind  hearts,  which  will  comfort  me 
when  I  fight  for  the  Republique,  or  live  for  her 
during  long  years.  I  grieve  exceedingly;  but 
I  go!" 

And  after  that  long  conference  with  myself 
I  called  upon  the  telephone  my  Buzz  and  asked 
of  him  that  he  meet  me  at  the  Club  of  Old 
Hickory,  of  which,  after  the  required  time  of 
waiting,  I  was  soon  to  be  an  enrolled  member. 

And  when  I  told  to  my  Mr.  Bumble  Bee  the 


254  The  Daredevil 

fact  that  in  the  space  of  barely  three  days  the 
great  gentleman  of  France  would  be  in  Hayes- 
ville  for  the  purpose  of  a  visit  and  the  signing 
of  the  contracts  concerning  our  much  discussed 
friend,  the  mule,  he  gave  a  very  long  and  loud 
whistle  and  placed  his  elbows  upon  the  smoking 
table  between  us. 

'  Well,  this  does  call  for  hustle,"  he  said  as 
he  knocked  from  his  cigarette  the  ashes.  "  What 
are  your  plans,  L'Aiglon?" 

"  I  do  not  know  what  it  is  best  to  plan,  my 
Buzz,"  I  answered  in  perplexity.  "  Of  course, 
there  must  be  the  official  reception  by  His  Excel 
lency,  the  Gouverneur  Faulkner,  upon  the  even 
ing  of  their  arrival,  but  more  I  cannot  think. 
Also,  I  am  commanded  by  His  Excellency  to 
consult  the  beautiful  Madam  Whitworth  as  the 
only  official  wife  of  the  State,  on  account  of  the 
title  of  Treasurer  of  her  husband/' 

"  Oh,  Mrs.  Pat  will  be  satisfied  to  shine  at 
the  elbow  of  Governor  Bill  at  the  reception  and 
we  can  trust  her  to  arrange  little  odd  cosy  hours 
for  herself  and  any  of  the  bunch  who  pleases 
her.  It's  the  man  end  of  it  we  want  to  handle." 

"  Yes,  it  is  that  man  end  you  speak  of  I  wish 


'  Behold,  I  Am  a  Spy!'          255 

you  to  perform  for  me,  my  Buzz,"  I  assented 
eagerly. 

"  I'll  tell  you  what  let's  do,"  exclaimed  that 
Buzz  with  a  very  great  light  of  enthusiasm 
coming  into  his  countenance.  "  Let's  don't  try 
to  imitate  London,  Paris  or  New  York  in 
blowing  'em  off;  let's  give  them  a  taste  of  the 
genuine  rural  thing.  Let's  take  the  bunch  down 
to  the  Brice  stock  farm,  Glencove,  give  'em  a 
barbecue  done  by  old  Cato  and  let  'em  see  the 
horses  run.  Gee,  they  have  got  a  string  of 
youngsters  there!  It  will  take  two  and  a  half 
days,  for  it's  fifty  miles  down  over  a  mighty 
poor  road,  but  it's  worth  it  when  you  get  there. 
The  Brice  farm  is  the  heart  of  the  Harpeth 
Valley.  We  took  that  English  Lordkin,  who 
came  to  visit  Governor  Bill  last  year,  down  to 
see  old  Brice,  and  it  took  us  ten  days  to  get 
him  to  break  away." 

'  That  we  will  do,  my  fine  Mr.  Bumble  Bee," 
I  answered  with  gratitude. 

"  Sure,  it's  the  thing,"  said  my  Buzz  with 
conviction.  "  We  pass  right  through  the  graz 
ing  land  of  the  State  and  we  can  show  them 
the  mule  in  the  making  —  the  right  kind  of 


256  The  Daredevil 

mule.  We'd  have  to  do  that  anyway,  for  that  is 
what  they  are  here  for." 

I  feel  a  certainty  that  if  I  should  continue 
to  be  an  American  man  for  all  of  the  days  I 
may  live,  to  that  three  score  and  ten  age,  I 
would  never  be  able  to  gain  in  any  way  even  a 
small  portion  of  what  my  fine  Mr.  Buzz  Clen- 
denning  calls  "  hustle."  I  went  at  his  side  for 
the  three  days  which  intervened  between  the 
news  of  the  arrival  of  that  Lieutenant,  Count  de 
Bourdon,  and  that  actual  arrival,  in  what  seemed 
to  me  to  be  the  pace  of  a  very  fleet  horse  or 
even  as  the  flight  of  a  bird.  And  as  fast  as  we 
went  from  the  arrangement  of  one  detail  of 
entertainment  to  another,  the  beautiful  Madam 
Whitworth  went  with  us,  with  her  eyes  of  the 
flower  blue  very  bright  with  a  great  excitement. 
I  was  glad  that  in  all  matters  it  was  necessary 
that  my  fine  Buzz  also  consult  with  her  and  thus 
I  was  not  exposed  to  any  of  her  wickedness 
alone. 

And  in  my  own  heart  was  also  a  great  excite 
ment,  for  it  seemed  to  me  that  I  was  fighting 
a  great  battle  for  France  all  alone.  All  day  I 
could  see  that  that  Mr.  Jefferson  Whitworth 


'Behold,  I  Am  a  Spy!'          257 

and  the  other  men  of  wealth  who  with  him  were 
seeking  to  be  robbers  to  my  Country,  were  first 
in  consultation  with  themselves  and  then  with 
my  Uncle,  the  General  Robert,  and  also  the 
Gouverneur  Faulkner.  Would  their  powerful 
wickness  prevail  and  be  able  to  force  a  signing 
of  that  paper  on  the  Gouverneur?  Was  that  in 
their  power,  I  asked  of  myself,  and  in  my  ignor 
ance  I  did  not  know  an  answer  and  had  no 
person  to  demand  one  from.  There  was  no  ease 
of  heart  to  me,  when  the  days  went  by  and  I 
was  so  at  work  with  my  Buzz  that  I  had  no 
time  for  words  from  my  Gouverneur  Faulkner 
or  glance  from  those  eyes  of  the  dawn  star.  I 
could  only  murmur  to  myself: 

"  Vive  la  France  and  Harpeth  America ! " 


CHAPTER  XVI 

"IMMEDIATELY  I  COME  TO  YOU!" 

And  so  the  time  passed  until  the  morning 
upon  which  the  same  railroad  train  which  had 
brought  young  Robert  Carruthers  down  into  the 
valley  home  of  his  forefathers,  arrived  with  yet 
another  son  of  Erance  and  his  secretaries  and 
servants.  All  were  in  attendance  at  the  station 
of  arrival,  from  the  Secretary  of  State,  the 
General  Carruthers,  who  in  his  large  car  was 
to  take  the  Count  de  Bourdon  to  the  Gouv- 
erneur's  Mansion  for  immediate  introduction, 
down  to  good  Cato  in  a  very  new  gray  coat  and 
a  quite  shiny  black  hat. 

"  Stand  right  alongside,  Robert,"  commanded 
my  Uncle,  the  General  Robert,  as  he  arranged 
with  impatience  a  large  white  rose  I  had  placed 
upon  the  lapel  of  his  very  elegant  gray  coat. 
"  I  never  did  like  heathens.  They  make  my 
flesh  crawl.  Be  sure  and  repeat  slowly  all  he 
says,  damn  him!  " 

258 


''Immediately  I  Come  to  You!"    259 

'  He  will  speak  to  you  in  English  very  like 
unto  that  I  use,  I  feel  sure,  my  Uncle  Robert," 
I  said  with  a  great  soothing. 

"  He  will  not,  sir,  he  will  not!  "  answered  my 
Uncle,  the  General  Robert,  with  a  great  impa 
tience.  "  Half  the  blood  in  your  veins  is  the 
good  red  blood  I  gave  you,  sir,  and  never  forget 
that.  Look  what  a  man  it  has  made  of  you !  " 

"  Yes,  my  Uncle  Robert,"  I  answered  with  a 
great  sadness  but  also  some  amusement.  In  my 
heart  I  prayed  that  always  when  I  had  left  him 
he  would  think  that  blood  to  be  the  good  red 
blood  of  a  man  of  honor  and  not  of  a  woman  of 
lies.  It  might  be  that  some  day  he  would  be 
proud  that  still  another  man  of  his  house  had 
died  in  battle  for  France  and  —  never  know. 

It  was  while  my  eyes  were  covered  with  a 
mist  of  tears  that  I  heard  the  great  railway  train 
approaching,  which  was  perhaps  to  bring  me  my 
dishonor,  and  I  drew  those  tears  back  into  my 
heart  and  stepped  forward  to  the  steps  of  the 
car  from  which  I  could  see  a  very  slight  and 
short  but  very  distinguished  looking  Frenchman 
about  to  descend. 

"  I  thank  the  good  God  I  have  never  before 


260  The  Daredevil 

encountered  him/'  I  said  in  my  heart  as  I  stood 
in  front  of  him. 

"  Lieutenant,  the  Count  de  Bourdon,  I  make 
you  welcome  to  the  State  of  Harpeth,  in  the 
name  of  my  Uncle,  the  Secretary  of  that  State," 
I  said  to  him  in  the  language  of  his  own  country 
as  I  clapped  together  my  heels  and  gave  to  him 
the  bow  from  the  waist  of  a  French  gentleman 
who  is  not  a  soldier.  "  Will  you  permit  that  I 
lead  you  to  that  Uncle?  " 

"  Many  thanks,  Monsieur,  is  it  Carruthers  I 
name  you  after  your  distinguished  relative?" 
he  made  answer  to  me  as  he  returned  my  bow 
with  first  one  of  its  kind  and  then  a  military 
salute. 

"  Robert  Carruthers,  sir,  and  at  your  service," 
I  made  answer  to  him  with  a  great  formality. 
And  as  I  spoke  I  saw  that  he  gave  to  me  a  glance 
of  great  curiosity  and  would  have  asked  a 
question  but  at  that  moment  my  Uncle,  the 
General  Robert,  stood  beside  us. 

"  I  present  to  you  the  General  Carruthers, 
Secretary  of  the  State  of  Harpeth,  Monsieur  the 
Lieutenant,  the  Count  de  Bourdon  of  the  forty- 
fourth  Chasseurs  of  the  Republique  of  France," 


"Immediately  I  Come  to  You!"    261 

I  said  with  again  a  great  ceremony  and  a  very 
deep  bow. 

"  I'm  mighty  glad  to  welcome  you  to  Old 
Harpeth,  Count.  How  did  you  make  the  trip 
down?  said  my  Uncle,  the  General  Robert, 
as  he  held  out  his  large  and  beautiful  old  hand 
and  gave  to  the  Count  Edouard  de  Bourdon 
such  a  clasp  that  must  have  been  to  him  most 
painful.  And  as  I  beheld  that  very  tall  grand 
old  soldier  of  that  Lost  Cause  look  down  upon 
that  very  polished  and  small  representative  of 
the  French  army,  that  American  eagle  began  a 
flapping  of  his  wings  against  the  strings  of  my 
heart  where  I  had  not  before  discovered  him  to 
reside. 

:'  But  he  is  not  as  my  Capitaine,  the  Count  de 
Lasselles,"  I  said  in  reproof  to  that  eagle,  which 
made  a  quiet  in  my  heart  so  that  I  could  listen 
to  the  words  returned  by  the  man  of  France  to 
the  man  of  America. 

"  I  thank  you,  Monsieur  the  Secretary  of  Har 
peth  ;  my  journey  was  of  great  pleasure  and 
comfort,"  were  the  words  which  he  returned  in 
very  nice  English. 

"  Then  we'll  go  right  up  and  see  Governor 


262  The  Daredevil 

Faulkner  at  the  Capitol  before  lunch,  Count,  if 
that  suits  you,"  my  Uncle,  the  General  Robert, 
said  with  a  very  evident  relief  at  those  words 
of  English  coming  from  that  French  mouth. 
"  Here's  my  car  over  this  way  and  this  is  Mr. 
Clendenning,  who'll  look  after  the  rest  of  the 
gentlemen  in  your  party  and  bring  them  on  up 
to  the  Capitol." 

"  Monsieur,"  said  the  Lieutenant,  Count  de 
Bourdon,  with  another  bow  and  then  a  quick 
recovery  as  he  saw  that  he  must  take  the  hand 
of  Buzz,  held  out  to  him  in  great  cordiality. 
These  handshakes  of  America  are  very  confus 
ing  to  those  of  Europe. 

I  saw  a  great  laughter  almost  to  explosion 
in  the  eyes  of  my  Buzz  at  the  very  little  man 
who  had  such  a  great  manner,  and  I  made  a 
hurrying  of  him  and  my  Uncle,  the  General 
Robert,  to  the  large  car  standing  beside  the 
station. 

"  I  will  precede  you  in  my  Cherry,"  I  said  as 
I  saw  both  the  gentlemen  seated  together  upon 
the  back  seat  of  the  large  black  machine. 

"  No  you  don't ;  you  take  your  seat  right  in 
here  with  us,  to  be  on  hand  if  any  bridge  of  this 


"Immediately  I  Come  to  You !"    263 

international  conversation  breaks  down  under 
the  Count  and  me,"  answered  my  Uncle,  the 
General  Robert,  with  stern  command. 

"  Is  it  that  the  young  Monsieur  Carruthers 
had  an  education  in  France?"  asked  the  Lieu 
tenant,  the  Count  de  Bourdon.  "  He  has  the 
air  of  French  —  shall  I  say,  youth?"  And  as 
he  spoke  again  I  saw  a  gleam  of  deeply  aroused 
interest  in  his  eyes  which  made  my  knees  to 
tremble  in  their  tweed  trousers. 

"  Born  there;  son  of  my  brother,  who  died  at 
the  Marne,"  made  answer  to  the  question  my 
Uncle,  the  General  Robert. 

"  It  is  now  that  I  make  a  remembrance.  That 
Capitaine  Carruthers  was  the  husband  to  the 
very  beautiful  Marquise  de  Grez  and  Bye.  In 
her  youth  I  was  her  friend.  I  did  not  know  — 
but  as  the  Lieutenant,  the  Count  de  Bourdon, 
was  making  this  discovery  which  sent  a  thrill 
of  fear  into  the  toes  of  my  very  shoes,  the  car 
stopped  at  the  main  entrance  of  the  Capitol  and 
halfway  down  the  long  flight  of  steps  stood  His 
Excellency,  the  great  Gouverneur  Faulkner  of 
the  State  of  Harpeth,  waiting  to  receive  the 
guest  who  came  on  a  mission  to  him  from  a 


264  The  Daredevil 

great  land  across  the  waters.  Until  I  die  and 
even  into  a  space  beyond  that,  I  shall  take  that 
picture  of  magnificence  which  was  made  by  my 
beloved  Gouverneur  Faulkner  as  he  stood  in  the 
May  sunlight  with  his  bronze  hair  in  a  gleaming. 
I  thought  him  to  be  a  great  statue  of  Succor  as 
he  held  out  both  of  his  strong  hands  to  the 
smaller  man  who  had  come  from  a  stricken  land 
for  his  help. 

"  Lc  bon  Dicu  keep  of  his  heart  a  friend  of 
France,"  I  prayed  as  I  watched  those  hands 
clasp  as  my  Uncle,  the  General  Robert,  made 
the  introduction. 

And  all  the  long  hours  of  that  long  day  were 
as  dreams  of  sadness  and  fear  to  me  as  I  went 
about  the  many  duties  of  entertainment  laid 
upon  me.  At  luncheon  at  that  Club  of  Old 
Hickory  I  sat  opposite  the  small  Frenchman 
who  sat  on  the  right  hand  of  my  Gouverneur 
Faulkner,  and  opposite  to  me  sat  my  Uncle,  the 
General  Robert.  No  business  was  in  discussion 
at  that  time  but  I  could  see  those  eyes  of  French 
shrewdness  make  a  darting  from  one  face  to 
another  and  ever  they  came  back  to  me  with  a 
great  puzzle  which  gave  to  me  terrible  fear. 


"Immediately  I  Come  to  You !"    265 

To  all  the  plans  for  his  entertainment  he  gave 
an  assent  of  delight  and  for  that  two  days'  jour 
ney  down  into  the  grazing  lands  of  the  Harpeth 
Valley  he  had  a  great  eagerness  until  told  that 
it  was  to  be  undertaken  upon  the  morrow. 

"  Is  it  not  that  we  will  be  occupied  on  the 
morning  of  to-morrow  with  the  signing  of  those 
papers  of  importance,  Your  Excellency?"  he 
asked  with  a  grave  annoyance  which  was  under 
a  fine  control. 

'  The  Secretary  of  State,  General  Carruthers, 
and  I  think  it  will  be  best  that  you  see  the 
grazing  lands  of  Harpeth  and  some  of  the  mules 
being  put  into  condition  before  the  signing  of 
the  contracts/'  was  what  was  "  handed  out  to 
him,"  as  my  Buzz  would  have  expressed  it,  by 
my  Gouverneur  Faulkner  with  a  great  courtesy 
and  kindliness  as  he  helped  himself  to  some 
excellent  chicken  prepared  in  a  fry.  I  could  see 
a  great  start  of  alarm  come  into  the  eyes  of  that 
small  Lieutenant,  the  Count  de  Bourdon,  at 
those  calm  words,  but  he  gave  not  a  sign  of  it. 
In  my  heart  wras  a  great  hope  that  something 
had  been  discovered  for  the  protection  of  my 
soldiers  of  France,  and  I  also  took  to  myself 


266  The  Daredevil 

a  portion  of  that  excellent  chicken  and  did  make 
the  attempt  to  consume  it  as  I  beheld  all  of  those 
great  gentlemen  performing.  I  believe  that 
under  excitement  men  possess  a  much  greater 
calmness  of  appetite  than  do  women. 

"  Monsieur  le  Gouverneur,  it  is  not  necessary 
that  I  behold  those  lands  and  those  mules;  the 
signature  of  the  great  Gouverneur  of  the  State 
of  Harpeth  will  make  a  mule  to  grow  from  a 
desert,  in  the  eyes  of  the  French  Government," 
he  said  with  a  smile  of  great  charm  spreading 
over  his  very  small  countenance. 

But  just  at  this  moment,  when  a  reply  would 
have  been  of  an  awkwardness  to  make,  the 
music,  which  is  made  by  a  most  delightful  band 
of  black  men  for  all  eating  in  that  Club  of  Old 
Hickory,  began  to  play  the  great  Marseillaise, 
and  with  one  motion  all  of  the  gentlemen  in 
that  dining  room  rose  to  their  feet  in  respect 
to  the  distinguished  guest  of  that  Old  Hickory 
Club.  Also  many  friendly  glances  were  cast 
upon  me,  which  I  returned  with  a  smile  of  great 
gratitude. 

"  Yes,  the  pen  is  mightier  than  the  mule  stick 
in  his  eyes,  the  scoundrel,"  remarked  my  Uncle, 


"Immediately  I  Come  to  You!"    267 

the  General  Robert,  as  I  drove  to  the  Capitol 
with  him  in  his  car,  while  the  Gouverneur  Faulk 
ner  took  his  guest  with  him  in  his. 

"  Is  any  proof  been  found  that  he  shall  not 
do  this  robbery  to  France,  my  Uncle  Robert?" 
I  asked  with  great  eagerness. 

'  Trap  is  about  ready  to  spring,  but  not  quite. 
God,  but  Jeff  Whitworth  is  a  skilled  thief!  I 
know  what  he  is  up  to  but  I  can't  quite  get  it 
on  the  surface.  Keep  the  French  robber  busy, 
boy,  for  a  little  longer,  and  I'll  land  him.  Here 
we  are  at  the  office!  Now  you  get  busy  keeping 
them  busy  —  and  I'll  land  'em.  If  not,  I'll  go 
and  show  France  what  real  fighting  is  and  I'll 
take  you  with  me  into  the  worst  trench  they've 
got !  Battles,  indeed  —  they  ought  to  have  been 
at  Chickamauga.  Now  depart !  "  With  which 
words  my  Uncle,  the  General  Robert,  got  out  of 
the  car  and  left  me  to  direct  it  to  wherever  I 
chose. 

"  I  have  a  warmth  at  heart  that  the  three 
men  most  beloved  of  me  would  go  onto  the 
French  battle  line  with  me,"  I  murmured  to 
myself  as  the  black  chauffeur  drove  me  back  to 
that  Club  of  Old  Hickory  to  get  me  again  in 


268  The  Daredevil 

company  of  my  Buzz.  "  And  yet  it  is  the  cus 
tom  of  women  to  believe  that  they  command  the 
deepest  affection  of  which  a  man  is  possessed. 
And,  helas,  it  is  believed  to  be  impossible  for  a 
comrade  that  he  be  also  a  lover ! " 

It  has  been  my  good  fortune  to  be  one  of  the 
guests  at  many  very  brilliant  receptions  of  much 
state  in  some  of  the  very  grand  and  ancient 
palaces  of  the  different  countries  of  Europe,  but 
at  none  of  them  have  I  seen  a  greater  brilliancy 
than  at  the  one  given  in  his  Mansion  by  the 
Gouverneur  Faulkner  of  the  State  of  Harpeth 
in  America.  All  of  that  old  Mansion,  which  has 
the  high  ceilings  and  the  decorations  of  a  palace, 
if  not  quite  the  size,,  was  adorned  with  very  large 
masses  of  a  most  lovely  and  handsome  flower, 
which  is  of  many  shades  of  a  pink  hue  set  in 
dark  and  shining  leaves  and  which  is  called  the 
rhododendron.  There  were  many  lights  and 
music  of  a  softness  I  have  never  heard  equaled, 
because  the  souls  of  those  black  men  seem  to  be 
formed  for  a  very  strange  kind  of  music.  Also 
I  had  never  beheld  women  of  a  more  loveliness 
than  those  of  the  State  of  Harpeth,  who  had 
come  from  many  small  cities  near  to  Hayesville 


"Immediately  I  Come  to  You !"    269 

at  an  invitation  of  very  careful  selection  for 
their  beauty  by  my  Buzz. 

"  Let's  give  him  a  genuine  dazzle,"  he  had 
remarked  while  making  a  list  for  the  sending  of 
the  cards. 

And  most  beautiful  of  all  those  beautiful 
grandc  dames  was  that  Madam  Patricia  Whit- 
worth,  who,  with  her  husband,  stood  at  the  side 
of  His  Excellency,  the  great  Gouverneur  Faulk 
ner,  for  the  receiving  of  his  guests.  Her  eyes  of 
the  blue  flowers  set  in  the  snow  of  crystals  were 
in  a  gleaming  and  the  costume  that  she  wore 
was  but  a  few  wisps  of  gossamer  used  for  the 
revealing  of  her  radiant  body.  In  my  black  and 
stiff  attire  of  the  raven  I  stood  near  to  the 
other  hand  of  the  Gouverneur  Faulkner  and 
there  was  such  an  anger  for  her  in  my  heart 
that  it  was  difficult  that  I  made  a  return  of  the 
smile  she  cast  upon  me  at  every  few  minutes. 
Was  there  a  mockery  in  that  smile,  that  she 
had  discovered  my  woman's  estate  and  was 
using  her  own  beauty  for  a  challenge  to  me?  I 
could  not  tell  nor  could  I  judge  exactly  what 
the  smile  of  boldness  which  the  Lieutenant,  the 
Count  de  Bourdon,  cast  upon  me,  might  mean. 


270  The  Daredevil 

And  in  doubt  and  anxiety  I  stood  there  in  that 
great  salon  for  many  hours  to  make  conversa 
tion  with  the  guest  of  honor  easy  with  those 
who  came  to  him  for  presentation,  until  at  last 
I  was  so  weary  that  I  could  not  make  even  a 
good  night  to  my  Uncle,  the  General  Robert, 
when  we  entered,  long  after  midnight,  the  doors 
of  Twin  Oaks. 

When  in  my  own  apartment,  alone  with  the 
beautiful  Grandmamma,  I  cast  myself  upon  the 
bed  upon  which  my  father  had  had  birth,  and 
wept  with  all  my  woman's  heart  which  beat  so 
hard  under  that  attire  of  the  raven. 

"  Scarcely  one  more  day  and  perhaps  I  must 
flee  in  dishonor  from  all  the  love  of  these 
friends,"  I  sobbed  to  myself,  but  deeper  than  all 
that  I  wept  for  the  picture  of  that  beautiful 
woman  at  the  side  of  my  beloved  Gouverneur 
Faulkner. 

And  then  suddenly  as  I  lay  in  my  weeping 
the  telephone  upon  the  table  beside  my  bed  gave 
a  loud  ringing  in  the  darkness  that  was  long 
after  midnight.  Very  quickly  from  fear  I  cov 
ered  my  head  with  my  pillow  and  waited  with 
a  great  fluttering  of  heart. 


"Immediately  I  Come  to  You!"    271 

Then  a  second  time  it  rang  with  a  great  fury 
and  I  perceived  that  I  must  make  a  response 
to  it. 

I  arose  and  took  that  receiver  into  my  hand 
and  spoke  with  a  fine  though  husky  calmness. 

"What  is  it?"  I  asked. 

"  Is  that  you,  Robert?"  came  the  voice  of 
my  beloved  Gouverneur,  which  made  the  heart 
of  that  anguished  Roberta,  Marquise  of  Grez 
and  Bye,  beat  into  a  sudden  great  happiness 
though  also  alarm. 

"  Yes,  Your  Excellency." 

"  Can  you  dress  very  quietly,  get  your  car 
and  come  up  here  to  the  Mansion  without  letting 
anybody  know  of  it?  " 

"  I  will  do  what  you  command." 

"  I  need  you,  boy,  and  I  need  you  quick." 

"  I  come." 

"  Stop  the  car  at  the  street  beyond  the  side 
door  and  come  in  that  way.  Cato  will  let  you 
in.  Come  to  my  bedroom  quietly  so  as  not  to 
wake  Jenkins.  Can  you  find  your  way?  " 

For  just  one  single  long  second  that  grande 
dame.  Roberta,  the  Marquise  of  Grez  and  Bye, 
cowered  in  fear  upon  her  warm  bed  in  the  house 


272  The  Daredevil 

of  her  Uncle,  the  General  Robert,  at  the  thought 
of  going  out  into  the  night  at  the  command  of 
a  man,  and  then  that  devoted  daredevil,  Mr. 
Robert  Carruthers,  answered  into  the  telephone 
to  the  Gouverneur  Faulkner : 
"  Immediately  I  come  to  you." 


CHAPTER  XVII 

THE  TALL  TIMBERS  OF  OLD 
HARPETH 

Is  it  that  there  comes  to  the  world  an  hour 
in  the  twenty  and  four  in  which  it  lays  aside 
the  mortality  of  the  earth  and  clothes  itself  in 
an  immortality  of  a  very  great  awe?  I  think 
that  it  is  so;  and  it  was  out  into  the  whiteness 
of  that  hour  that  I  stepped  when  I  had  success 
fully  passed  from  my  room  to  the  garden  of  the 
home  of  my  Uncle,  the  General  Robert,  which  is 
also  the  home  of  my  American  ancestors.  A 
command  for  my  presence  had  come  to  me  from 
the  loved  Gouverneur  Faulkner  and  it  was  need 
ful  that  I  make  all  possible  haste;  but  it  seemed 
to  me  that  all  of  the  beautiful  faded  flowers  of 
my  dead  grandmammas  in  that  garden  rose  up 
around  me  for  beguilement  and  gave  to  me  a 
perfume  that  they  had  kept  in  saving  for  the 
Roberta,  some  day  to  come  across  the  waters  to 

273 


2/4  The  Daredevil 

them.  And  all  of  their  little  descendants,  the 
opening  blossoms  of  spring,  also  gave  perfume 
to  me  in  a  mist  in  the  white  moonlight,  while  a 
few  fragrant  rose  vines  bent  to  detain  me  as  I 
left  that  home  of  my  grandmothers  to  go  out 
into  that  sleeping  city,  alone.  I  had  a  great  fear, 
but  yet  a  great  devotion  drew  me  and  in  a  very 
few  minutes  I  had  driven  my  Cherry  from  the 
garage  and  was  on  my  way  through  the  silent 
streets  to  —  I  did  not  know  what. 

At  the  door  of  the  Mansion  I  was  admitted 
by  my  good  Cato,  who  was  attired  in  a  very 
long  red  flannel  sleeping  garment,  with  a  red 
cap  also  of  the  flannel  tied  down  upon  the 
white  wool  of  his  head. 

"  Has  you  got  dat  hoodoo,  little  Mas'  ?  "  he 
demanded  of  me  as  I  passed  into  the  hall  beneath 
the  candle  in  a  tall  stand  of  silver  which  he  held 
high  over  my  head. 

4  Yes,  good  Cato,"  I  made  answer  to  him  and 
I  was  indeed  glad  that  I  had  now  of  a  habit  put 
his  gift  under  the  heel  of  my  left  foot.  It  gave 
me  great  courage. 

"  De  Governor  is  up  in  his  room  and  you  kin 
go  right  up.  I  never  heard  of  no  such  doings 


Tall  Timbers  of  Old  Harpeth     275 

as  is  going  on  in  dis  house  dis  night  with  that 
there  wild  man  with  a  gun  five  feet  long,  coming 
and  going  like  de  wind.  Go  on  up,  honey,  and 
see  what  you  kin  do  to  dem  with  dat  hoodoo." 
With  which  information  good  Cato  started  me 
up  the  stairs.  "  First  door  to  the  right,  front, 
and  don't  knock,"  he  called  in  a  whisper  that 
might  have  come  from  his  tomb  in  death  as  he 
slowly  retired  into  the  darkness  below  with  his 
candle. 

For  a  very  long  minute  I  stood  before  that 
door  in  the  dim  light  that  came  through  one  of 
the  wide  windows  from  the  moon  without. 

'  What  is  this  madness  that  you  perform, 
Roberta,  Marquise  of  Grez  and  Bye?"  I  made 
demand  of  myself  while  my  knees  trembled  in 
the  trousers  of  heavy  gray  worsted. 

"  Robert  Carruthers  goes  to  his  chief  in  an 
hour  of  need  and  he  is  descended  of  that  Madam 
Donaldson  who  had  no  fear  of  the  Indian  or  the 
bear  when  there  was  danger  to  her  beloved," 
I  made  answer  to  myself  and  softly  I  turned 
the  handle  of  that  door  and  entered  the  room 
of  the  Gouverneur  Faulkner. 

"Is  that  you,  Robert?"  came  a  question  in 


276  The  Daredevil 

his  voice  from  a  large  table  over  by  the  window. 
The  room  was  entirely  in  shadow,  except  for  the 
shaded  light  upon  the  table,  under  whose  rays  I 
remarked  the  head  and  shoulders  of  that  Gouv- 
erneur  Faulkner,  at  whose  bidding  I  had  come 
out  into  the  dead  of  the  night.  "  Come  over 
here  and  walk  softly,  so  as  not  to  stir  up  Jen 
kins,"  he  commanded  me  and  I  went  immediately 
to  his  side,  even  if  I  did  experience  a  difficulty  in 
the  breath  of  Roberta,  Marquise  of  Grez  and 
Bye. 

'  What  is  it  that  you  wish,  my  Gouverneur 
Faulkner?  "  I  asked  as  I  looked  down  upon  him 
as  he  sat  with  a  paper  in  his  hand  regarding  it 
intently.  And  as  I  looked  I  observed  that  he, 
as  well  as  I,  had  not  entirely  disrobed  after 
that  very  brilliant  reception.  He  had  discarded 
his  coat  of  the  raven  and  also  what  is  called  a 
vest  in  America,  and  he  was  very  beautiful  to 
me  in  the  whiteness  of  his  very  fine  linen  above 
which  his  dark  bronze  hair  with  its  silver  crests, 
that  I  had  always  observed  to  be  in  a  very  sleek 
order,  was  tossed  into  a  mop  that  resembled  the 
usual  appearance  of  my  own.  His  eyes  were 
very  deep  under  their  heavy  lashes  but  of  the 


Tall  Timbers  of  Old  Harpeth     277 

brilliancy  of  the  stars  in  the  blackness  of  a  dark 
night. 

"  Sit  down  here  under  the  light  beside  me," 
was  his  next  command  to  me,  and  he  reached 
out  one  of  his  slender  and  powerful  hands  and 
drew  me  down  into  a  chair  very  close  beside 
him. 

'What  is  it?"  I  asked  as  my  head  came  so 
close  to  his  that  I  felt  the  warmth  of  his  breath 
on  my  cold  cheek. 

''  Hold  these  two  fragments  of  paper  together 
and  translate  the  French  written  upon  them 
literally,"  he  said  to  me  as  he  handed  me  two 
small  pieces  of  paper  upon  which  there  was 
writing. 

And  this  is  what  I  discovered  to  be  written: 

"Honored  Madam: 

'  The  one  at  the  head  of  all  has  sent  me 
to  this  place  to  inspect  grazing  lands  and 
make  report.  I  send  in  a  report  of  what  is 
not  here  and  the  signing  of  the  papers  by 
your  Gouverneur  Faulkner  must  be  done 
quickly  in  blindness  before  a  discovery  of 
what  is  not  —  " 


The  Daredevil 

"  It  is  written  to  a  woman,"  I  said  very 
quietly  as  I  made  a  finish  of  reading. 

1  Yes,  boy,  to  a  woman.  I  have  made  my  last 
fight  to  —  to  hold  an  old  belief,  which  in  some 
way  seemed  to  be  —  be  one  of  my  foundation 
stones.  The  General  is  right:  they  are  all  alike, 
the  soft,  beautiful,  lying  things.  The  truth  is 
not  in  them,  and  their  own  or  a  man's  honor  is 
a  plaything.  That  piece  of  paper  was  sent  me 
by  a  man  up  in  the  mountains  of  Old  Harpeth, 
who  loves  me  with  the  same  blood  bond  that  I 
love  you,  boy,  all  on  account  of  a  gun  struck  up 
in  the  hands  of  his  enemy.  Here's  the  note  he 
sent  with  it. 

"  Bill,  we  cotched  a  furren  man  fer  a 
revenue  up  by  the  still  at  Turkey  Gulch  and 
this  wras  in  his  pocket.  I  made  out  to  read 
yo  name.  I  send  it.  The  man  is  kept  tied. 
What  is  mules  worth?  Send  price  and 
what  to  do  with  this  man  critter  by  son 
Jim.  Hell,  Bill,  they  ain't  no  grazing  fer 
five  thousand  mules  on  Paradise  Ridge, 
but  I  know  a  place. 

Jim  Todd." 


Tall  Timbers  of  Old  Harpeth     279 

"  What  is  the  significance  of  this  paper,  my 
Gouverneur  Faulkner  ? '  I  asked  after  I  had 
made  the  attempt  to  translate  to  myself  the  very 
peculiar  writing  he  had  given  to  me. 

"  I  do  not  know  just  exactly  myself,  Robert," 
answered  my  Gouveurner  Faulkner  as  he 
dropped  his  head  upon  his  hands  while  he 
rested  his  elbows  on  the  polished  table  among 
its  scattered  papers.  "  I  am  convinced  now  that 
this  mule  contract  business  is  the  plot  against  my 
honor  that  the  General  believes  it  to  be  and  has 
been  trying  to  get  to  a  legal  surface.  In  some 
way  Jim  Todd  has  got  hold  of  one  end  of  the 
conspiracy.  It  has  been  hard  for  me  to  believe 
that  a  woman  would  sell  me  out.  If  I  take  it 
to  her  in  the  morning  I'll  perhaps  get  an  explan 
ation  that  will  satisfy  me.  The  men  who  are  in 
with  Jeff  Whitworth  are  the  best  financiers  in 
the  State  and  it  is  impossible  to  believe  that  — 

Very  suddenly  it  happened  in  my  heart  to 
know  what  to  compel  that  very  large  man  beside 
me  to  do  for  the  rescue  of  his  honor.  He  must 
see  the  matter,  not  through  the  lies  of  that 
beautiful  Madam  Whitworth,  the  instrument  of 
that  very  ugly  husband,  but  he  must  look  into 


280  The  Daredevil 

the  matter  with  his  blood  friend,  that  Mr.  Jim 
Todd. 

"  You  must  go  immediately  to  that  Mr.  Jim 
Todd  and  his  prisoner  to  discover  truth,  Your 
Excellency,"  I  said  with  a  very  firm  determina 
tion  as  I  looked  straight  into  his  sad  eyes  that 
had  in  them  almost  the  look  of  shame  for 
dishonor. 

"  It's  twenty-four  hours  on  horseback  across 
Old  Harpeth  from  Springtown,  boy.  The  trip 
would  take  three  days.  I  can't  do  it  with  these 
guests  here,  even  if  they  are  robbers.  I'll  have 
to  stay  and  dig  down  to  the  root  of  the  matter 
here.  I  may  find  it  in  the  hearts  of  my  friends," 
he  answered  me  with  a  look  of  great  despair. 

"  The  root  of  the  matter  is  that  man  who  is  a 
prisoner,  my  Gouverneur  Faulkner.  I  say  that 
you  go;  that  you  start  while  yet  it  is  night  and 
while  no  man  can  advise  you  not  to  take  that 
journey.  It  can  be  done  while  this  entertain 
ment  to  the  farm  of  the  Brices  is  made  for  the 
inspection  of  mules  and  also  the  running  of 
horses.  It  is  necessary!"  As  I  spoke  to  him 
in  that  manner  a  great  force  rose  in  me  that  I 
poured  out  to  him  through  my  eyes. 


Tall  Timbers  of  Old  Harpeth     281 

"  Great  Heavens,  boy,  I  believe  I'll  do  it.  I 
could  never  get  anything  if  I  went  when  they 
knew  I  was  going,  but  I  might  find  out  the 
whole  thing  if  I  went  to  it  in  secret.  If  I  go 
now  they'll  not  have  time  to  get  their  breath 
before  I  am  back.  I'll  be  able  to  think  out 
there  is  those  hills  and  I'm  —  a  —  man  who 
needs  to  think  —  with  a  vision  unobscured." 
For  a  long  minute  my  Gouverneur  Faulkner 
sat  with  his  head  bowed  in  his  hands  as  he 
rested  his  elbows  on  that  table,  then  he  rose  to 
his  feet.  "  Let's  get  away  while  it  is  still  the 
dead  of  night,  Robert.  I'll  leave  a  note  with 
Cato  to  tell  the  General  that  I've  taken  you, 
and  nobody  except  himself  must  know  where  I 
have  gone  or  why.  He'll  put  up  the  right  bluff 
and  we'll  be  back  before  they  get  anything  out 
of  him.  It's  three  o'clock  and  we  must  be  far 
out  on  the  road  by  daybreak.  We'll  take  your 
car  and  leave  it  in  hiding  at  Springtowrn,  where 
by  sunup  we'll  get  horses  to  cross  the 
mountains." 

"Is  it  that  I  must  go  for  three  days  out  into 
those  mountains  with  you,  my  Gouverneur 
Faulkner?"  faltered  that  ridiculous  and  trou- 


282  The  Daredevil 

blesome  Roberta,   Marquise  of  Grez  and  Bye. 

'  Why,  no,  Robert,  unless  —  unless  —  Oh, 
well,  I  suppose  this  prisoner  of  Jim's  can  speak 
English  as  they  all  can.  I  rather  wanted  you  — 
but  perhaps  it  is  best  for  me  to  fight  it  out 
alone.  Will  you  help  me  pack  a  bag?  Get  the 
one  from  my  dressing  room  while  I  take  a 
plunge." 

"  Quick,  Robert  Carruthers,  make  an  excuse 
to  that  Roberta,  Marquise  of  Grez  and  Bye,  who 
is  of  such  a  foolishness,  that  you  must  go  with 
your  beloved  Gouverneur  Faulkner  for  his  aid," 
I  said  to  myself. 

"  It  is  necessary  that  your  foreign  secretary 
accompany  you  to  deal  with  that  gentleman  of 
France  who  is  in  prison,  my  Gouverneur  Faulk 
ner,"  I  said  with  decision  as  I  rose  from  the 
side  of  the  table  with  a  great  quickness.  "  I 
must  return  home  for  a  few  necessities  of  my 
toilet  for  those  three  days,  but  I  will  be  back  in 
what  that  good  Kizzie  says  to  be  a  jiffy,  wrhen 
speaking  of  cooking  that  is  delayed." 

"  Good,"  answered  me  my  beloved  Gouverneur 
Faulkner.  Then  he  laid  his  hand  upon  my 
shoulder  as  we  stood  together  in  the  dimness 


Tall  Timbers  of  Old  Harpeth     283 

out  from  the  rays  of  the  light.  "  There  is 
something  in  your  eyes,  Robert,  that  renews 
my  faith  in  the  truths  of  —  of  life.  I'm  going 
out  into  the  wilderness  on  a  grave  mission  whose 
result  may  shake  down  some  houses  of --of 
cards,  but  because  of  your  being  with  me  I  feel 
as  if  I  were  starting  off  on  a  picnic  or  a  day's 
fishing  at  the  age  of  ten.  Now,  I'll  hurry." 
And  as  he  spoke  my  Gouverneur  Faulkner  made 
a  start  in  the  direction  of  his  room  for  the  bath. 

:'  Is  it  that  I  may  begin  the  packing  of  your 
bag  for  you,  Your  Excellency,  before  I  go  for 
those  necessities  of  my  own?  "  I  asked  of  him. 

'  Won't  be  time  for  you  to  go  home,  boy,"  he 
answered  me,  looking  at  a  clock  upon  the 
mantel  over  his  large  fireplace.  "  You  are  still 
in  your  evening  clothes,  I  see.  But  that's  easy: 
you  climb  into  that  pink  coat  and  a  pair  of  those 
corduroy  trousers  of  mine  you  see  hanging  in 
my  dressing  room.  I  haven't  hunted  for  two 
years  but  they  are  still  there.  Put  linen  in  that 
saddlebag  on  the  shelf  for  us  both  out  of  the 
drawers  in  the  old  chest  over  there.  Take  heavy 
socks  to  go  under  the  leggings.  You'd  better 
put  on  a  flannel  shirt,  too,  and  take  an  extra 


284  The  Daredevil 

one  for  both  of  us.  We'll  travel  light.  I'll 
only  be  in  the  bath  a  couple  of  minutes."  With 
which  assurance  he  entered  the  room  of  the  bath 
and  closed  the  door  upon  me. 

"  Mon  Dieu,  Roberta,  Marquise  of  Grez  and 
Bye!  "  was  all  that  I  allowed  myself  to  exclaim 
as  I  made  a  very  quick  rush  for  that  dressing 
room,  switched  on  the  light,  flung  off  my  coat, 
seized  a  pair  of  corduroy  riding  breeches  that 
hung  in  a  corner  beside  another  pair,  discarded 
my  own  of  broadcloth  and  struggled  with  both 
of  my  legs  the  same  moment  into  them.  Then 
in  a  hurry  as  great  as  I  shall  ever  know  I  dis 
covered  a  gray  flannel  shirt  in  a  drawer  of  the 
very  tall  old  mahogany  chest  and  inserted  myself 
into  that  with  an  equal  rapidity.  A  wide  leather 
belt  made  the  two  very  large  garments  secure 
around  my  waist  and  I  again  allowed  breath  to 
come  into  my  lungs.  I  then  opened  a  very  queer 
bag  which  I  knew  to  be  for  a  saddle,  that  was 
upon  a  shelf  in  the  dressing  room,  and  began  to 
put  things  into  it  according  to  directions  of  the 
Gouverneur  Faulkner.  The  other  pair  of  those 
riding  breeches  I  laid  with  another  of  the  flannel 
shirts  in  a  great  conspicuousness  upon  a  chair 


Tall  Timbers  of  Old  Harpeth     285 

in  the  bedroom  directly  in  front  of  the  door 
from  the  dressing  room. 

"  We're  going  to  make  a  record  get-away, 
boy,"  said  that  Gouverneur  Faulkner  to  me  as 
in  a  few  minutes  he  came,  clothed  in  those  riding 
trousers  and  that  flannel  shirt,  to  the  door  of  his 
dressing  room,  where  I  was  just  making  a  finish 
of  putting  needful  clothing  into  his  bag.  "  You'll 
find  the  other  things  we  need  in  the  bathroom. 
Put  it  all  in  while  I  get  together  a  few  papers 
I  want.  We  can  start  now  in  two  minutes." 

"  All  is  ready  now,  my  Gouverneur  Faulkner," 
I  made  the  announcement  after  a  wading  into 
that  very  wet  room  of  the  bath  and  a  return. 

:'  Here,  give  me  the  bag,  and  you  go  ahead 
with  this  electric  torch.  Quiet  now,"  admonished 
that  Gouverneur  Faulkner  to  me  as  we  took  our 
departure  through  the  dark  hall. 

'  This  is  the  maddest  escapade  that  a  Gov 
ernor  of  this  ancient  State  has  ever  undertaken, 
and  the  weight  of  years  has  slid  from  me,  boy," 
said  that  Gouverneur  Faulkner  to  me  as  the 
Cherry  made  a  long  glide  from  the  city  out  into 
the  open  road. 

The  day  was  just  beginning  to  come  with  its 


286  The  Daredevil 

light  from  behind  the  very  large  and  crooked 
old  mountain  that  is  called  Old  Harpeth,  when 
my  Gouverneur  Faulkner  made  me  to  turn  my 
good  Cherry  from  off  the  main  road  into  a 
little  road,  of  much  narrowness  and  of  beautiful 
brown  dirt  the  color  of  the  riding  trousers  that 
I  wore,  and  stop  beside  a  very  humble,  small 
house,  which  was  covered  with  a  vine  in  beau 
tiful  bud,  and  around  which  many  chickens 
hovered  in  waiting  for  a  morning  breakfast. 
Behind  the  small  house  was  a  large  barn  and 
as  I  made  a  nice  turn  and  stop  beside  the  white 
gate  a  man  in  a  blue  garment  that  I  now  know 
is  called  overalls,  came  to  the  door  of  the  barn. 

"  Hello,  Bud.  Are  Lightfoot  and  Steady  in 
good  condition  for  a  trip  across  to  Turkey 
Gulch?"  called  my  Gouverneur  Faulkner  as  he 
alighted  from  the  car. 

"  Fit  as  riddles,  Governor  Bill,"  answered  the 
man  as  he  came  to  the  gate  to  shake  hands  with 
the  Gouverneur  Faulkner.  ;  'Light  and  come  in 
to  breakfast.  Granny  has  got  a  couple  of 
chickens  already  in  the  skillet.  And  say,  I  want 
you  to  see  what  Mandy  have  got  in  the  bed  with 
her.  Ten  pounds,  Gov." 


Tall  Timbers  of  Old  Harpeth     287 

"  Congratulations,  Bud;  that  is  some  —  boy?  " 
said  my  Gouverneur  Faulkner  with  a  question 
as  he  again  grasped  the  hand  of  the  large  man. 

"  Naw,  Gov ;  we  didn't  have  no  luck  this  first 
shot  but  I  tells  Mandy  that  we've  got  about  a 
dozen  more  chanstes  if  she  does  as  well  by  me 
as  she  oughter.  Anyway  what's  the  matter  with 
a  gal  child?  "  And  the  nice  young  father  of  the 
poor  little  female  made  a  bristle  of  his  disposi 
tion  in  defense  of  his  daughter. 

"  Not  a  thing  on  earth,  Bud ;  except  that  the 
whole  sex  are  the  unknown  quantity.  This  is 
my  secretary,  Robert  Carruthers,  the  General's 
nephew.  Come  in,  Robert,  and  you'll  have  one 
square  meal  in  your  life  if  you  never  get 
another.  Get  me  the  usual  food  wallet  together, 
Bud,  please,  and  let  me  have  it  and  the  horses 
the  very  moment  I've  swallowed  the  last  bite 
of  my  drum  bone,  will  you?  We've  got  to  ride 
fast  and  far  to-day  and  I  want  nobody  on  my 
trail.  Understand?  " 

"  Yep,  Gov,"  was  the  answer  that  good  Bud 
man  made  as  my  Gouverneur  Faulkner  and  I 
took  our  way  through  many  chickens  into  the 
low  little  house. 


288  The  Daredevil 

"  God  bless  my  soul,  if  here  ain't  the  Gov 
ernor  come  for  a  bite  with  Granny  Bell  this  fine 
morning !  "  exclaimed  a  very  nice  old  lady  from 
above  a  stove,  which  was  steaming  with  food  of 
such  an  odor  as  to  create  a  madness  in  my  very 
empty  stomach. 

"  More  than  any  bite,  Granny,"  answered  my 
Gouverneur  Faulkner  as  he  came  beside  the 
stove  to  shake  hands  with  the  nice  hostess. 

"  I'd  like  to  feed  you  some  gold,  fried  in  silk. 
Governor  Bill,  fer  that  mercy  to  my  nephew 
Timms.  I  can't  say  what  I  feels  and  finish  this 
cream  gravy  the  right  color  for  you,"  and  as 
she  spoke  the  fine  old  friend  of  my  Gouverneur 
Faulkner  wept  as  she  shook  a  steaming  sauce  in 
a  black  pan  and  turned  with  the  left  hand  a 
golden  piece  of  bread  upon  another  part  of  the 
stove. 

"  I  don't  need  anything  more  than  your  '  well 
done/  Granny,"  answered  my  Gouverneur 
Faulkner  as  he  laid  a  gentle  hand  on  the 
trembling  shoulder  of  the  nice  old  lady.  "  This 
youngster  here  got  the  word  from  Mary  and 
you  can  give  him  both  of  the  liver  wings  if  you 
want  to  show  your  gratitude  to  him." 


Tall  Timbers  of  Old  Harpeth     289 

"  God  bless  you,  young  gentleman,  and  you 
shall  have  anything  that  Granny  Bell  has  to 
give  you  in  gratitude.  Now  draw  up  two  chairs 
and  fall  to,  boys,"  and  as  she  spoke  she  set  the 
dishes  of  a  beautiful  odor  upon  a  very  clean 
table  beside  the  stove. 

"  Is  it  that  I  may  wash  the  grease  stains  of 
the  car  from  my  hands  before  eating,  dear 
Madam?  "  I  asked  of  her. 

"  Back  porch,  you'll  find  the  bucket  and  pan 
and  towel,  youngster.  I  can't  wait  for  you/' 
made  answer  my  Gouverneur  Faulkner  as  he 
laughed  and  began  upon  the  repast  that  must  of 
necessity  be  a  hurried  one. 


CHAPTER  XVIII 

THE  CAMP  HEAVEN 

And  I  was  very  glad  indeed  that  he  did  not 
go  with  me  for  that  toilet  to  my  hands,  for  it 
might  have  happened  that  a  noise  would  have 
deprived  me  of  a  very  beautiful  thing  that  I 
discovered,  through  a  window  under  a  vine  of 
roses  that  opened  upon  that  back  porch. 

A  very  pretty  young  girl,  with  hair  the  color 
of  the  maize  in  the  fields,  lay  upon  a  white  bed 
beneath  a  quilt  of  many  colors.  Her  sleeping 
garment  was  drawn  back  from  her  breast, 
against  which  lay  a  little  human  person  drinking 
therefrom  with  much  energy.  The  eyes  of  the 
mother  were  closed  and  her  arm  held  the  babe 
loosely  as  if  in  a  deep  dreaming.  I  softly  poured 
the  water  into  the  basin,  made  clean  my  hands 
and  quietly  withdrew  into  the  kitchen,  with  much 
care  that  I  did  not  awaken  her.  On  my  cheeks 
I  could  feel  a  deep  glow  of  color,  and  something 

290 


The  Camp  Heaven  291 

within  my  heart  pounded  with  force  against 
my  own  breast  under  its  gay  red  coat  of  a  hunt 
ing  man.  I  could  not  raise  my  eyes  to  those  of 
my  Gouverneur  Faulkner  and  I  ate  not  as  much 
of  that  good  breakfast  as  Robert  Carruthers 
could  have  consumed  if  the  woman  in  his  heart 
had  not  been  so  stirred. 

And  all  of  that  long  day  in  the  soft  early 
spring  which  was  bursting  into  a  budding  and  a 
flowering  under  the  feet  of  our  horses  and  above 
our  heads  in  the  trees,  it  was  the  woman  Roberta 
that  rode  at  the  side  of  my  Gouverneur  Faulk 
ner,  with  her  heart  at  an  ache  under  her  coat 
of  a  man.  It  was  with  a  difficulty  that  I  forced 
my  eyes  to  meet  and  make  answer  to  the  merri 
ment  and  joy  of  the  woods  in  his  deep  ones ;  and 
I  was  of  a  great  gladness  when  the  descending 
of  the  sun  brought  a  moon-silvered  twilight 
down  upon  us  from  the  young  green  branches 
of  the  large  trees  of  the  forest  through  which 
we  rode. 

"  Time  to  make  camp.  We've  got  to  old 
Jutting  Rock.  You  are  halfway  up  between 
heaven  and  earth,  youngster,"  said  my  Gouv 
erneur  Faulkner  as  he  drew  to  a  halt  his  horse 


292  The  Daredevil 

in  front  of  me  and  pointed  down  into  the  dim 
valley  that  lay  at  our  feet. 

"  I  am  glad  that  we  have  made  this  Camp 
Heaven,"  I  answered  to  him  as  I  slid  from 
my  horse,  ungirthed  him,  and  drew  from  his 
back  the  heavy  saddle  he  had  worn  for  the 
day,  as  I  had  been  taught  by  my  father  to  do 
after  a  day's  hunting,  if  no  grooms  came  imme 
diately.  "  Is  it  that  you  have  hunger,  my  Gouv- 
erneur  Faulkner?" 

"  Only  about  ten  pounds  of  food  craving," 
he  made  answer  to  me  with  a  large  laugh  that 
was  the  first  I  had  ever  heard  him  to  give  forth. 
"  I'll  rustle  the  fire  and  wrater  if  you'll  open  the 
food  wallet  and  feed  the  horses." 

"  Immediately  I  will  do  all  of  that,"  I  made 
an  answrer  to  him  and  because  of  the  happiness 
of  that  laugh  he  had  given  forth,  a  gladness  rose 
in  my  heart  that  made  me  again  that  merry  boy 
Robert. 

And  it  was  with  a  great  industry  for  a 
short  hour  that  we  prepared  the  Camp 
Heaven  for  a  sojourn  of  a  night.  Upon  a 
very  nice  hot  fire  I  put  good  bacon  to  cook  and 
my  Gouverneur  set  also  the  pot  of  coffee  upon 


The  Camp  Heaven  293 

the  coals.  Then,  while  I  made  crisp  with  the 
heat  the  brown  corn  pones,  with  which  that 
Granny  Bell  had  provided  us,  he  brought  a  large 
armful  of  a  very  fragrant  kind  of  tree  and 
threw  it  not  far  into  the  shadow  of  the  great 
tree  which  was  the  roof  to  our  Camp  Heaven. 

"  Bed,"  he  said  as  he  came  and  stood  beside 
the  fire  in  a  large  towering  over  me.  I  dropped 
beyond  rescue  a  fragment  of  that  corn  bread 
into  the  extreme  heat  of  the  coals,  but  I  said 
with  a  great  composure  and  a  briefness  like  unto 
his  words: 

"  Supper." 

'  Why  is  it  that  a  man  thinks  he  wants  more 
of  life's  goods  than  fatigue,  supper  and  bed,  do 
you  suppose,  boy?"  questioned  my  Gouverneur 
Faulkner  to  me  as  at  last  in  repletion  he  leaned 
back  against  our  giant  rooftree,  between  two  of 
whose  hospitable  large  roots  we  had  made  our 
repast,  and  lighted  a  pipe  of  great  fragrance 
which  he  had  taken  from  his  pocket. 

"  I  would  not  possess  happiness  even  though 
I  had  this  nice  supper,  if  I  was  alone  in  this 
great  forest,  Your  Excellency;  I  would  have 
fear,"  I  answered  him  with  a  small  laugh  as  I 


The  Daredevil 

took  my  corduroy  knees  into  my  embrace  and 
looked  off  into  that  distant  valley  below  us  which 
was  beginning  to  glow  with  stars  of  home  lights. 

"  Didn't  I  tell  you  once  that  you  don't  count, 
that  you  are  just  myself,  youngster  ?  You  ought 
not  to  know  I  am  here.  I  don't  know  you  exist 
except  as  a  form  of  pleasure  of  which  I  do  not 
ask  the  reason,"  was  the  answer  that  my  Gouv- 
erneur  Faulkner  made  to  me. 

"  I  excuse  myself  away  with  humbleness  for 
impertinence,  Your  Excellency,"  I  returned  to 
him. 

"  If  you  tried,  do  you  think  you  could  call  me 
Bill,  just  for  to-night,  boy?"  was  the  answer 
he  made  to  my  excuses  as  he  puffed  a  beautiful 
ring  of  smoke  at  me. 

"  I  could  not,"  I  answered  with  an  indignation. 

"  I  heard  you  call  Sue  Tomlinson  '  Sue  '  the 
first  night  you  danced  with  her." 

"  But  that  Mademoiselle  Sue  is  a  woman,  my 
Gouverneur  Faulkner,"  I  answered  with  haste. 

"  That's  the  reason  that  women  get  at  us  to 
do  us,  youngster;  we  don't  approach  them  as 
human  to  human  but  we  go  up  on  their  blind 
side  and  they  come  back  at  us  in  the  dark  with 


The  Camp  Heaven  295 

a  knife."  And  as  he  spoke  all  of  the  gayness 
of  joy  was  lost  from  the  voice  of  my  beloved 
Gouverneur  and  in  its  place  was  a  bitterness. 

"  With  pardon  I  say  that  it  is  not  a  truth  of 
all  women.  Your  Excellency,"  I  answered  with 
pride  as  my  head  went  up  high  at  his  condemna 
tion  of  the  sex  of  which  I  was  one. 

"  You  don't  know  what  you  are  talking  about, 
youngster.  They  all  think  I  am  cold  and  pass 
me  along,  except  a  few  experienced  ladies  who 
-shall  I  say?  —  adventure  for  graft  with  me. 
I've  been  too  busy  really  to  love  or  let  love  but 
I  know  'em  and  you  don't.  Let's  stop  talking 
about  what  concerns  neither  of  us  and  go  to 
bed.  See  this  young  cedar  tree?  I'm  going 
to  throw  my  blanket  across  it  and  with  these 
extra  boughs  I'll  make  a  genuine  cradle  for  each 
of  us  on  the  opposite  sides  of  the  trunk.  Then 
we'll  cover  with  your  blanket  and  be  as  com 
fortable  as  two  middies  in  their  hammocks  in  a 
man  of  war.  This  is  a  piece  of  woodcraft  of 
my  own  invention  and  I'm  proud  of  it,  old 
scout." 

And  while  he  talked  my  Gouverneur  Faulkner 
had  prepared  those  cradles  of  our  blankets 


296  The  Daredevil 

unstrapped  from  the  saddles  of  the  horses  at 
feeding  time,  seated  himself  upon  the  edge  of 
one  of  them  and  began  to  pull  from  his  feet 
his  riding  boots.  "  Take  oft"  your  boots  and 
your  coat,  youngster,  and  turn  in.  I'll  take 
the  windward  side  and  you  can  bivouac  against 
the  fire.  Good  night !  "  As  he  finished  speaking 
my  Gouverneur  Faulkner  rolled  beneath  that 
blanket  upon  the  outer  edge  and  left  for  me 
the  hammock  next  to  the  fire,  sheltered  from  a 
cool  wind  that  had  begun  to  come  up  from  the 
valley. 

Almost  immediately,  so  that  I  should  not  have 
a  fright,  I  lifted  the  blanket  and  crawled  into 
the  branches  of  the  fragrant  tree.  Even  as  I 
did  so  I  perceived  a  loud  breathing  of  deep  sleep 
from  my  Gouverneur  Faulkner ;  but  to  me  came 
no  repose. 

Awake  through  the  bright  night,  I  lay  there 
in  the  sweet  branches  of  the  young  tree  beside 
the  great  Gouverneur  of  one  of  the  greatest 
states  of  America  and  perceived  clearly  the  pass 
to  which  my  course  of  lies  and  dishonor  had 
led  me.  And  from  that  wild  daredevil,  Roberta, 
Marquise  of  Grez  and  Bye,  was  born  the  honest 


The  Camp  Heaven  297 

woman  Roberta  who  must  extricate  herself  from 
a  situation  not  to  be  longer  endured,  even  if 
discovery  was  not  upon  me. 

"  I  will  finish  this  journey  with  my  beloved 
Gouverneur  Faulkner,"  I  counseled  myself, 
"  upon  which  it  is  of  a  certainty  that  this 
plot  for  his  ruin  in  the  world  of  his  politics 
will  be  averted,  and  I  will  return  to  the 
home  of  my  Uncle,  the  General  Robert.  If 
I  be  not  discovered  in  my  woman's  estate  in 
a  few  days'  space  of  time  I  will  endeavor 
to  do  some  piece  of  loving  kindness  that  will 
keep  me  in  the  memory  of  all  who  have 
given  me  love,  from  poor  black  Bonbon  up 
to  His  Excellency  himself  here  beside  me,  and 
then  I  will  go  into  those  trenches  of  France 
to  give  my  life  for  my  country,  perhaps  not 
as  a  soldier  but  as  a  good  nurse  of  the  Red 
Cross.  And  never,  never,  must  any  living  per 
son  who  has  loved  Robert  Carruthers  know 
that  he  is  a  human  of  dishonor.  Nannette  will 
be  true  to  my  directions  to  hide  my  secret,  and 
wee  Pierre  will  keep  it  forever  because  I  go  to 
fight  for  France  as  he  cannot.  I  will  put  with 
great  firmness  into  the  mind  of  Pierre  that  he 


The  Daredevil 

is  to  be  of  a  great  devotion  to  my  Uncle,  the 
General  Robert,  through  life. 

"  And  what  will  you  do  for  that  great  Gouv- 
erneur  Faulkner,  from  whom  each  day  you 
have  stolen  more  and  more  affection  with  your 
false  attitude  of  much  loyalty,  to  keep  from 
him  grief  at  the  loss  of  you?"  I  asked  myself 
with  a  sob  in  my  heart. 

"  Forgive  me,  my  beloved  chief.  When  away 
from  you  I  must  die  of  a  coldness,"  I  said  to 
myself  in  a  very  low  tone  into  the  moonlight. 

"  Cold?  Do  you  want  the  whole  blanket, 
youngster?  Snuggle  into  your  cradle  closer," 
suddenly  answered  me  my  Gouverneur  Faulkner 
as  he  reached  his  long  arm  across  the  tree 
trunk  to  tuck  in  the  blanket  about  me  and  again 
he  was  immediately  in  the  deep  sleep  from 
which  my  spoken  words  had  but  partly  awak 
ened  him.  And  then  at  his  bidding  I  did  settle 
myself  down  into  the  fragrant  boughs  and  I 
wept  myself  also  into  a  deep  sleep. 

The  round  sun  was  high  over  that  Old  Har- 
peth  hill  when  I  opened  my  eyes.  For  a  moment 
I  did  not  see  clearly  and  then  I  looked  straight 
into  the  deep  eyes  of  my  Gouverneur  Faulkner, 


The  Camp  Heaven  299 

which  for  that  first  time  I  had  been  able  to  see 
to  be  the  color  of  violets  in  the  twilight.  He 
was  seated  beside  me  smoking  the  fragrant  pipe 
and  looking  down  at  me  with  a  great  won 
derment  that  was  mingled  with  as  great  a 
tenderness. 

:'  Boy,"  he  asked  softly,  "  are  you  sure  God 
has  got  that  pattern  of  you  put  away  carefully 
in  France?  " 

Before  I  could  make  answer  to  him  a  picture 
flashed  into  my  mind.  When  still  a  child  one 
morning  I  opened  my  eyes  to  find  my  loved 
father  bending  over  me  and  in  the  hollow  of 
his  arm  he  held  my  mother  in  her  breakfast 
gown  of  lace  and  ribbons.  He  spoke: 

"  Some  day,  Celeste,  a  man  will  bend  over 
her  and  watch  her  waken.  God  grant  it  will 
be  with  the  love  —  that  produced  that  beauty. 
Look  at  that  love  curl !  " 

And  at  the  recall  of  that  picture  of  me  into 
my  mind,  my  hands  flew  to  my  face  to  find 
that  same  treacherous  curl  had  descended  to 
my  cheek  from  the  mop  above.  With  a  fury 
of  embarrassment  I  sprang  to  my  feet  from 
under  that  blanket. 


300  The  Daredevil 

'  I  have  a  great  hunger/'  I  said  as  I  observed 
a  very  crisp  breakfast  to  be  prepared  upon  the 
coals  of  the  fire.  "  I  must  have  a  fragment  of 
bacon  upon  the  instant."  And  I  bent  over  the 
fire  to  obtain  what  I  had  demanded  for  a  cover 
to  my  confusion. 

"  No,  you  don't,  until  you've  washed  that 
face  and  those  hands  that  still  have  the  supper 
smudge  on  them,  in  the  pool  down  there.  I 
left  the  soap  and  the  dry  sleeves  and  bosom  of 
a  flannel  shirt  for  you.  Don't  you  pack  towels 
in  a  kit  in  your  country?"  With  which  laugh 
ing  answer  my  Gouverneur  Faulkner  denied 
unto  me  an  immediate  breakfast. 

"  You  thought  him  to  admire  the  love  curl, 
while  he  was  remarking  the  soil  upon  your  face, 
Roberta,     Marquise     of     Grez     and     Bye,"     I 
laughed  to  myself  as   I  plunged  my   face  into 
the  icy  pool. 

After  a  finish  to  the  breakfast,  my  Gouver 
neur  Faulkner  gave  to  me  the  information  that 
we  must  tether  the  good  horses  and  make  the 
remainder  of  the  journey  by  walking,  which 
we  did  for  hardly  a  short  hour. 

"  The    wildcat    still    is    straight    up    Turkey 


The  Camp  Heaven  301 

Gulch  and  we'll  have  to  scramble  for  it.  It's 
hid  like  the  nest  of  an  old  turkey  hen,"  he  said 
to  me  as  we  set  out  upon  the  mounting  of  a 
very  steep  precipice. 

"  What  is  that  word,  '  wildcat  still '  ?  "  I 
asked  as  I  slid  over  a  great  rock  with  emerald 
moss  encrusted,  and  struggled  beside  my  Gouv- 
erneur  Faulkner  through  a  heavy  underbrush 
of  leafy  greenness. 

"  A  place  where  men  make  whiskey  in  defi 
ance  of  the  law  of  their  State,"  he  answered 
me  as  he  held  aside  a  long  branch  of  green  that 
was  pink  tipped,  so  that  I  might  slip  thereunder 
without  a  scratching. 

"  Are  you  not  the  law  of  the  State,  my 
Gouverneur  Faulkner?"  I  asked  of  him  as  I 
pulled  myself  by  his  arm  through  the  thickness. 

"  I'm  all  that,  but  I'm  the  son  of  Old  Har- 
peth  and  Jim  Todd's  blood  brother  first.  Some 
day  I'll  smoke  Jim  out  of  his  hole  and  get  him 
a  good  job.  Now,  wait  a  minute  and  see  what 
happens,"  and  as  he  spoke  my  Gouverneur 
Faulkner  stood  very  still  for  a  long  minute.  As 
I  sat  at  his  side  upon  the  fallen  trunk  of  a 
large  tree  I  regarded  him  with  admiration, 


302  The  Daredevil 

because  he  had  the  aspect  of  some  beautiful, 
lithe  animal  of  the  woods  as  he  listened  with 
a  deep  attention.  Then  very  quickly  he  put  his 
two  long  fingers  to  his  mouth,  and  behold  the 
call  of  a  wild  bird  came  from  between  his  lips. 
Twice  it  was  repeated  and  then  he  stood  again 
in  deep  attention.  I  made  not  even  a  little 
breathing  as  I  too  listened. 

Then  came  three  clear  notes  of  that  same 
wild  bird  in  reply  from  not  very  far  up  the 
mountain  from  us. 

"  That's  Jim,  the  old  turkey ;  come  on ! "  said 
my  Gouverneur  Faulkner  as  he  again  began  to 
break  through  the  leafy  barriers  of  the  low 
trees. 

And  in  a  very  short  space  of  time  a  man 
emerged  from  a  little  path  that  led  behind  a 
tall  cliff  of  the  gray  rocks.  He  was  a  very 
large  and  a  very  fierce  man  and  I  might  have 
had  a  fright  of  him  if  his  blue  eyes  had  not 
held  such  a  kindness  and  joy  in  them  at  the 
sight  of  my  Gouverneur  Faulkner. 

"  Howdy,  Bill,"  he  said  with  no  handshake 
or  other  form  of  a  comrade's  greeting. 

"  Howdy,    Jim,"    returned    my    Gouverneur 


The  Camp  Heaven  303 

Faulkner  in  a  manner  of  the  same  indifference 
but  with  also  an  expression  in  his  face  of 
delight  at  the  sight  of  his  blood  brother,  that 
Mr.  Jim  Todd. 

"That   thar   boy   a    shet-mouth?" 

"  He's  Bob,  and  as  hard  as  a  nut,"  was  the 
introduction  I  had  from  my  Gouverneur 
Faulkner. 

k  Then  come  on,"  with  which  command  that 
wild  man  led  us  around  the  tall  cliff  of  gray 
rock,  over  which  climbed  a  sweet  vine  of  rosy 
blossoming,  which  I  now  know  to  call  a  laurel, 
and  we  arrived  in  front  of  a  small  and  low  hut 
that  was  built  against  the  rocks.  A  clear,  small 
stream  made  a  very  noisy  way  past  the  door  of 
the  hut,  but  save  for  its  clamor  all  was  silent. 

;<  Where  are  the  boys?  "  asked  my  Gouver 
neur  Faulkner. 

"  Hid  in  the  bushes.  I've  got  the  man  tied 
back  in  the  still  room.  I  'low  he  ain't  no 
revenue  but  they  'low  different.  Come  back 
and  see  if  you  kin  make  out  his  gibberish." 

"  Come  on,  Robert,"  said  my  Gouverneur 
Faulkner  to  me  as  he  followed  the  wild  Jim 
into  the  hut  and  back  into  a  room  that  was 


304  The  Daredevil 

as  a  cave  cut  into  the  rock.  And  I,  Robert 
Carruthers,  followed  him  —  to  my  death. 

Seated  upon  a  rude  bench  in  that  cave  room, 
bound  with  a  rope  of  great  size,  disheveled  and 
soiled,  but  with  all  of  the  nobility  of  his  great 
estate  in  his  grave  face,  was  my  adored  friend, 
Capitaine,  the  Count  de  Lasselles!  As  we 
entered  he  rose  beside  the  bench  and  in  that 
rising  displayed  a  chain  by  which  one  of  his 
feet  was  made  fast  to  the  rock  of  the  wall. 

"  Good  morning,  sir,"  said  my  Gouverneur 
Faulkner,  as  if  greeting  a  gentleman  upon  the 
street  of  that  city  of  Hayesville. 

"  Also  a  good  morning,  sir,"  made  reply  my 
poor  Capitaine,  the  Count  de  Lasselles.  And 
he  stood  with  a  fine  and  great  courtesy  waiting 
for  my  Gouverneur  Faulkner  to  state  to  him 
what  his  visit  could  portend,  as  would  he  have 
done  in  his  regimental  room  at  Tour. 

And  as  he  stood,  for  that  very  long  minute, 
there  expired  the  last  moments  of  the  life  of 
Robert  Carruthers.  A  stream  of  light  fell  from 
the  little  window  high  in  the  rock  upon  his 
luckless  head  as  he  stood  as  if  frozen  into  a 
statue  of  great  fear.  And  as  he  so  stood,  the 


The  Camp  Heaven  305 

eyes  of  the  Capitaine,  the  Count  de  Lasselles, 
fell  upon  him  and  he  started  forward  as  far 
as  the  length  of  the  chain  by  which  he  was 
bound  would  allow  him  and  from  there  held 
out  his  hand  to  the  frozen  boy  standing  in  the 
stream  of  light  from  high  heaven. 

"  My  most  beautiful  lady  Roberta,  do  I  find 
that  it  is  you  who  have  come  to  my  rescue?" 
he  questioned.  "  I  lost  you,  mon  enfant,  in 
that  great  New  York." 

"  My  beloved  Capitaine,  how  is  it  that  I  find 
you  thus?"  I  exclaimed  as  I  went  to  within 
his  reach  and  allowed  that  he  take  my  two 
hands  in  his  poor  shackled  ones  and  put  warm 
kisses  of  greeting  upon  them. 

And  it  was  while  I  was  shedding  tears  of 
pity  for  the  imprisonment  of  that  great  man 
of  France  in  that  mountain  hut  in  America,  as 
he  kissed  my  hands,  that  I  raised  my  eyes  to 
encounter  a  cold  lightning  as  of  a  flash  on  steel, 
from  under  the  black  brows  of  my  Gouverneur 
Faulkner  of  the  State  of  Harpeth,  that  again 
froze  the  blood  in  my  heart. 

"  You?  "  he  asked  of  me  in  a  voice  that  was 
of  the  same  coldness  and  sharpness  as  that 


306  The  Daredevil 

steel,  and  his  beautiful  mouth  was  set  into  one 
straight  line  as  he  flung  into  my  face  that  one 
word. 


CHAPTER  XIX 

ALL  IS  LOST 

And  to  that  word  of  challenge  I  made  no 
answer,  but  I  raised  my  head  and  looked  into 
his  eyes  with  a  dignity  that  came  to  me  as  my 
right  from  suffering.  So  regarding  each  other, 
we  stood  for  a  very  short  minute  in  which  the 
Capitaine,  the  Count  de  Lasselles,  raised  his 
head  from  his  kisses  of  salutation  upon  my 
hands. 

"  And,  mon  enfant,  is  this  the  good  Uncle 
to  whose  care  you  came  into  America?"  asked 
that  Capitaine,  the  Count  de  Lasselles,  as  he 
reached  out  his  imprisoned  hands  for  a  greeting 
to  my  relative. 

I  did  not  make  any  answer  to  that  question. 
My  head  raised  itself  yet  higher,  and  I  looked 
my  Gouverneur  Faulkner  again  full  in  the  face 
while  I  waited  to  hear  what  he  would  answer 
of  my  kinship  to  him. 

307 


308  The  Daredevil 

"  Sir,  I  am  the  friend  of  General  Carruthers 
and  I  am  also  the  Governor  of  the  State  of 
Harpeth.  I  have  come  across  the  mountains  to 
talk  with  you  about  the  business  of  this  con 
tract  for  mules  for  your  army  and  I  have 
brought  your  young  friend  to  assist  me  if  I 
should  need  translating  from  or  to  you.  We 
Americans,  Captain,  are  poor  handlers  of  any 
language  not  our  own,  and  the  matter  is  of 
much  gravity."  And  as  the  Gouverneur  Faulk 
ner  spoke  those  words  to  my  Capitaine,  the 
Count  de  Lasselles,  with  a  great  courtesy  but 
also  a  great  sternness,  in  which  he  named  me 
not  as  his  friend  but  as  the  friend  of  that  Capi 
taine,  the  Count  de  Lasselles,  I  knew  that  I  was 
placed  by  him  among  all  women  liars  of  the 
world  and  that  to  him  his  boy  Robert  of  honor 
was  of  a  truth  dead  forever. 

'''  It  is  indeed  of  such  a  gravity  that  I  have 
come  from  the  English  Canada  to  make  all  clear 
to  myself,"  answered  my  beloved  Capitaine,  the 
Count  de  Lasselles,  as  he  drew  himself  to  his 
entire  height,  which  was  well-nigh  as  great  as 
that  of  the  Gouverneur  of  the  State  of  Harpeth. 

"  And  I  have  ridden  a  day  and  a  night,  sir, 


All  Is  Lost  309 

for  the  same  purpose,"  answered  my  great  Gouv- 
erneur  Faulkner  with  that  beautiful  courtesy  of 
business  I  have  always  observed  him  to  use  in 
the  transaction  of  his  affairs  in  his  office  at  the 
Capitol  of  the  State  of  Harpeth.  "  And  as  one 
of  us  must  make  a  beginning,  will  you  not  tell 
me,  Captain,  why  you  are  here  and  in  this 
predicament?  " 

"  In  a  few  words  I  will  make  all  clear  to 
you,  Your  Excellency,"  made  answer  my  Capi- 
taine,  the  Count  de  Lasselles,  with  an  air  of 
courtesy  equal  to  that  of  the  Gouverneur  Faulk 
ner.  "  I  sent  down  into  your  State  of  Har 
peth  one  of  my  Commission,  to  whom  I  gave 
the  direction  that  with  a  lack  of  annoying  pub 
licity  he  should  investigate  the  preparedness  of 
the  State  of  Harpeth  to  deliver  those  five  thou 
sand  of  mules  to  the  Republique  of  France  as 
was  being  proposed.  Behold,  a  report  that  all 
is  well  comes  to  me,  but  —  ah,  it  is  with  sorrow 
and  shame  that  such  a  thing  could  be  done  by 
a  son  of  poor  France  who  struggles  for  life !  - 
among  the  sheets  of  that  report  was  left  by 
mistake  the  fragments  of  a  draft  of  a  letter  to 
an  American  woman,  which  made  a  partial  dis- 


310  The  Daredevil 

closure  of  an  intended  falseness  of  that  state 
ment  to  me.  Immediately  I  came  alone  to 
interview  that  false  officer  and  I  find  him  gone 
from  that  small  town  not  far  from  here  into  your 
Capital.  I  was  seeking  to  rapidly  ride  alone  by 
directions  into  your  Capital  city  to  prevent  that 
he  make  a  signature,  which  I  had  given  to  him 
the  authority  to  write,  to  those  papers  of  so 
great  an  importance.  I  was  thus  arrested  by 
that  man  of  great  wildness,  whose  patois  I 
could  not  understand  as  he  could  not  compre 
hend  the  English  I  make  use  of,  and  you  see 
me  thus.  I  beg  of  you  to  tell  me  if  that  wicked 
signature  has  been  made." 

"  The  papers  have  not  been  signed,  thank 
God,  Captain,  and  your  very  impatient  lieu 
tenant  is  being  shown  some  Southern  hospitality 
by  the  flower  and  chivalry  of  Old  Harpeth.  And 
I  beg  your  pardon  for  allowing  you  to  be  a 
prisoner  a  minute  longer  than  necessary,"  was 
the  answer  made  to  him  by  my  Gouverneur 
Faulkner.  "  Untie  the  Captain,  Jim ;  he's  all 
right.  And  you  can  bring  us  a  little  of  your 
mountain  dew  while  I  clear  this  table  here  to 
use  for  the  papers  of  our  business."  And  still 


All  Is  Lost  311 

my  Gouvernetir  Faulkner  did  not  speak  or  look 
at  me  and  in  my  heart  I  then  knew  that  he 
never  would. 

"  I  will  make  all  ready,"  I  said  as  I  lifted 
a  large  gun,  a  horn  of  a  beast  full  of  powder 
and  several  pipes  with  tobacco,  from  the  table 
of  rough  boards  that  stood  under  the  window 
for  light. 

''  Ah,  that  is  a  good  release!  Thank  you  that 
you  did  not  make  tight  enough  for  abrasions 
your  cords,  my  good  man,"  said  my  Capitaine, 
the  Count  de  Lasselles,  as  he  stretched  out  his 
arms  and  then  bent  to  make  a  rubbing  of  his 
ankle  upon  which  had  been  the  chain. 

:'  I  said  you  warn't  no  revenue.  Here,  drink, 
stranger !  "  answered  the  wild  Jim  as  he  handed 
a  bottle  of  white  liquid  to  my  Capitaine,  the 
Count  de  Lasselles,  and  also  another  to  my 
Gouverneur  Faulkner.  "  That  boy  can  suck  the 
drippings,"  he  added  as  he  looked  at  me  with 
humor. 

"  Get  cups  and  water,  Jim,"  commanded  my 
Gouverneur  Faulkner  with  a  smile.  "  Don't 
drink  it  straight,  Captain.  It  will  knock  you 
down." 


312  The  Daredevil 

"  I  will  procure  the  cups  and  the  water,"  I 
said  with  rapidity,  for  I  longed  to  leave  that 
room  for  a  few  moments  in  which  to  shake 
from  my  eyes  some  of  the  tears  that  were 
making  a  mist  before  them. 

"  Git  a  fresh  bucket  from  the  spring  up  the 
gulch,  Bob,  while  I  go  beat  the  boys  outen  the 
bushes  with  the  news  that  they  ain't  no  revenue. 
They'll  want  to  see  Bill,"  was  the  direction  that 
wild  Jim  gave  to  me  as  he  placed  in  my  hand 
a  rude  bucket  and  pointed  up  the  side  of  the 
hill  of  great  steepness.  After  so  doing  he 
descended  around  the  rock  by  the  path  which 
we  had  ascended. 

"  What  is  it  that  you  shall  do  now,  Roberta, 
Marquise  of  Grez  and  Bye?  "  I  wept  a  question 
to  myself  as  I  dipped  that  bucket  into  a  clear 
pool  and  made  ready  to  return  to  the  hut.  "  All 
is  lost  to  you. 

"  I  do  not  know,"  I  answered  to  myself. 

And  when  I  had  made  a  safe  return  to  the 
hut  with  a  small  portion  of  the  water  only 
remaining  in  the  bucket,  for  the  cause  of  many 
slides  in  the  steep  descent  from  the  pool,  I 
found  my  Gouverneur  Faulkner  and  my  Capi- 


All  Is  Lost  313 

taine,  the  Count  de  Lasselles,  engaged  deeply  in 
a  mass  of  papers  on  the  table  between  them 
and  with  no  thanks  to  Roberta,  the  Marquise 
of  Grez  and  Bye,  when  she  served  to  them  tin 
cups  of  the  water  and  a  liquid  that  I  had  ascer 
tained  by  tasting  to  be  of  fire.  I  believe  it  to  be 
thus  that  in  affairs  of  business,  in  the  minds  of 
men  all  women  are  become  drowned. 

:<  Will  you  write  this  out  for  His  Excellency, 
my  dear  Mademoiselle?"  would  request  my 
good  Capitaine,  the  Count  de  Lasselles. 

'  Thank  you,"  would  be  the  reply  I  received 
from  the  Gouverneur  Faulkner  of  the  State  of 
Harpeth,  \vith  never  one  small  look  into  my  eyes 
that  so  besought  his. 

And  for  all  of  the  hours  of  that  very  long 
afternoon  I  sat  on  a  low  stool  beside  the  feet 
of  those  two  great  gentlemen  and  served  them 
in  their  communications  while  the  heart  in  my 
breast  was  going  into  death  by  a  slow,  cruel 
torture. 

The  exact  meaning  of  those  papers  and  words 
of  business  I  did  not  know,  but  once  I  observed 
my  Capitaine,  the  Count  de  Lasselles,  throw 
down  his  pencil  and  look  into  the  face  of  the 


314  The  Daredevil 

Gouverneur   Faulkner   with   a   great   and   stern 
astonishment. 

'  The  work  of  grafters,  Captain  Lasselles, 
with  a  woman  as  a  tool.  But  I  yet  don't  see 
just  how  it  was  that  she  worked  it.  My  Secre 
tary  of  State,  General  Carruthers,  and  I  have 
been  at  work  for  weeks  and  we  could  not  catch 
the  exact  fraud,"  made  answer  my  Gouverneur 
Faulkner  with  a  cold  sternness. 

"  I  was  warned  in  Paris  that  beautiful  Ameri 
can  women  were  very  much  interested  in  the 
placing  of  war  contracts,  Monsieur  le  Gouver 
neur.  I  fled  upon  a  tug  boat  from  the  ship 
that  I  escape  some  for  whom  I  had  letters  of 
introduction  which  I  could  not  ignore." 

"  It  was  your  Capitaine,  the  Count  de  Las 
selles,  whom  that  Madam  Whitworth  sought 
upon  the  ship,  Roberta,"  I  said  to  myself. 

"  I  think  women  are  alike  the  world  over, 
Captain,  and  the  discussion  of  them  and  their 
mental  and  moral  processes  is  —  fruitless," 
answered  my  Gouverneur  Faulkner  as  he  again 
took  up  his  pencil. 

"  When  it  happened  to  me  to  find  the  frag 
ment  of  the  letter  to  the  lady  of  America  from 


All  Is  Lost  315 

my  false  lieutenant,  I  had  a  deep  distress  that 
tenderness  for  the  sufferings  of  poor  France 
should  fail  to  be  in  even  one  American  woman's 
heart.  And  now  I  am  in  deep  concern.  Where 
am  I  to  obtain  the  good  strong  mules  by  which 
to  transport  through  fields  heavy  with  mud  the 
food  to  my  poor  boys  in  their  trenches?" 

"  Right  here,  Captain,  I  feel  reasonably  sure. 
I  think  I  see  a  way  to  give  you  what  you  want 
at  a  better  figure ;  and  from  it  no  man  shall 
reap  more  than  a  just  wage  for  honest  work. 
As  the  Governor  of  the  State  of  Harpeth,  I 
can  give  you  at  least  that  assurance."  And  as 
he  spoke  my  Gouverneur  Faulkner  looked  the 
Capitaine,  the  Count  de  Lasselles,  in  the  eyes 
with  a  fine  honesty  that  carried  with  it  the 
utmost  of  conviction. 

"  I  give  thanks  to  Ic  bon  Dicit,"  I  said  with 
words  that  were  very  soft  in  my  throat,  but  at 
which  I  observed  the  mouth  of  that  Gouverneur 
Faulkner  to  again  become  as  one  straight  line 
of  coldness. 

:'  Indeed,  thanks  to  Ic  bon  Dieu,  Made 
moiselle,"  made  courteous  answer  to  me  my 
Capitaine,  the  Count  de  Lasselles.  "  But  how 


316  The  Daredevil 

will  you  accomplish  that  purpose,  Monsieur  le 
Gouverneur?  " 

"  As  soon  as  I've  done  with  these  figures  I'll 
have  in  Jim,  your  jailer,  and  then  you'll  hear 
some  things  about  the  American  mountain  mule 
that  you  never  heard  before,  I  believe."  As  he 
spoke,  my  Gouverneur  Faulkner  proceeded  with 
making  figures  with  his  pencil,  a  fine  glow  of 
eagerness  added  to  that  of  rage  in  his  eyes  very 
deep  under  their  brows.  "  Now,  I'll  go  and  call 
in  Jim,"  he  said  after  a  few  minutes  of  waiting, 
and  left  the  room  in  which  I  was  then  alone 
with  my  Capitaine,  the  Count  de  Lasselles,  who 
came  to  me  with  outstretched  hands. 

"  Ah,  Mademoiselle  Roberta,"  he  exclaimed, 
"  I  am  in  a  debt  of  gratitude  to  you  for  bring 
ing  this  great  gentleman,  your  friend,  to  my 
rescue  and  also  to  the  solving  of  this  very 
strange  situation  concerning  these  contracts. 
Indeed  have  you  accomplished  the  mission  for 
which  you  enlisted:  your  'Friends  for  France.' 
But  before  procedure  I  must  ask  you,  little  lady, 
why  it  was  that  you  made  a  vanishment  from 
that  hotel  of  Ritz-Carlton  in  New  York.  I 
sought  you.  I  sought  out  that  Monsieur  Peter 


All  Is  Lost  317 

Scudder  to  inquire  for  you.  Behold,  he  also  is 
in  sorrow  over  the  loss  of  you  and  had  for  me 
a  strange  news  of  a  cup  of  tea  thrown  in  the 
face  of  that  Mr.  Raines  of  Saint  Louis  by  a 
member  of  your  family  who  had  departed  imme 
diately  into  the  south  of  America.  I  said  to 
myself,  '  The  beautiful  child  does  not  know  that 
your  heart  is  in  anxiety  for  her,'  and  immedi 
ately  I  intended  to  seek  you  in  the  city,  to  which 
the  very  fine  lady,  who  had  reported  that  '  tea 
fight '  as  she  so  spoke  of  it  to  her  paper,  directed 
me  after  my  finding  of  her.  It  is  a  great  ease 
to  my  unhappy  heart  to  find  you  in  the  care  of 
a  family  and  friends.  I  make  compliments  on 
your  costume  of  the  ride.  I  also  observed  the 
custom  of  attire  masculine  to  be  on  those  plains 
of  the  great  West  where  I  sought  the  wheat." 

"  It  is  a  great  joy  to  me,  mon  Capitainc,  that 
you  give  to  me  your  approval.  Much  has  hap 
pened  to  me  in  these  short  weeks  since  you  left 
me  in  loneliness  on  that  great  ship  that  I  must 
tell  to  you,"  I  said  as  a  sob  rose  into  my  words. 

"  Poor  little  girl,  it  will  not  be  many  hours 
now  before  I  can  say  to  you  the  things  that  have 
been  growing  in  my  heart  for  you  since  that 


318  The  Daredevil 

night  upon  the  ship,"  he  said  to  me  in  a  great 
tenderness  as  he  raised  my  hand  and  bent  to 
kiss  it  just  as  entered  the  great  Gouverneur 
Faulkner  and  the  wild  Jim. 

I  had  not  the  courage  to  gaze  upon  the  face 
of  my  Gouverneur  Faulkner,  but  I  felt  its  cold 
ness  strike  into  my  body  and  turn  it  to  hardness. 
For  a  second  I  stood  as  a  stone,  then  a  sudden 
resolve  rose  in  me  and  again  that  daredevil 
seized  upon  my  thought.  I  took  a  piece  of 
that  white  paper  with  caution  and  also  a  pencil, 
and  with  them  slipped  from  the  room,  while 
that  wild  Jim  seated  himself  upon  my  lowly 
stool  beside  the  table  at  which  again  the  two 
great  men  were  writing. 

And  out  in  the  soft  light  that  was  now  slowly 
fading  from  the  side  of  the  mountain  because 
of  the  retirement  of  the  sun,  I  sat  me  down 
upon  the  step  of  the  hut  and  wrote  to  my  Gouv 
erneur  Faulkner  this  small  letter: 

"  Honored     Excellency,     the     Gouverneur 

Faulkner,  of  the  State  of  Harpeth: 
"  I   go    from   you    into    the   trenches    of 
France.      If  your   humble  boy   Robert  has 


All   Is  Lost  319 

done  for  you  any  small  service,  I  beg  of 
you  in  that  name  that  my  Uncle,  the 
General  Robert,  and  my  friends  never 
know  of  my  dishonor  of  lies  about  my 
woman's  estate,  but  believe  me  to  die  as  a 
soldier  for  France  as  will  be  the  case. 
Make  all  clear  for  me  to  my  Capitaine, 
the  Count  de  Lasselles.  It  is  that  all 
women  are  not  lies. 

"  Roberta,  Marquise  of  Grez  and  Bye." 

Then  I  left  that  letter  upon  the  doorstep, 
held  in  place  by  the  weight  of  a  stone,  and  very 
softly  slipped  out  into  the  shadows  of  the  twi 
light  and  down  the  mountain  by  the  path  up 
which  that  morning  I  had  come  with  my 
beloved  Gouverneur  Faulkner,  then  my  friend. 
I  felt  a  certainty  that  as  many  as  two  hours 
would  those  men  continue  in  a  consulting  with 
that  wild  Jim  and  in  that  time  by  going  fleet- 
ingly  I  could  gain  the  place  where  were  teth 
ered  the  horses,  before  a  complete  darkness  had 
come.  From  my  honored  father  I  had  learned 
the  ways  of  woods  in  hunting  and  also  I  knew 
that  the  good  Lightfoot  would  in  darkness  carry 


320  The  Daredevil 

me  in  safety  to  his  stall  in  the  barn  of  Mr. 
Bud  Bell,  beside  which  stood  my  Cherry.  From 
there  I  could  gain  the  city  of  Hayesville  in  the 
dead  hours  of  the  night  and  in  those  same  dead 
hours  depart  to  France,  after  obtaining  the 
money  I  had  left  in  my  desk  and  which  I  had 
earned  by  my  labors  and  would  not  be  in  the 
act  of  stealing  from  the  State  of  Harpeth.  Only 
one  night  and  day  would  I  be  alone  in  the  forest 
and  I  did  not  care  if  a  death  should  overtake 
me.  In  my  body  my  heart  was  dead  and  why 
should  I  desire  the  life  of  that  body? 

And  as  I  had  planned  I  then  accomplished. 
I  discovered  that  Lightfoot  at  pasture  and  I 
quickly  had  placed  the  saddle  upon  him  and  had 
turned  him  down  the  mountain  to  choose  a  safe 
path  for  both  himself  and  me.  I  did  not  look 
upon  those  cradles  of  fragrant  boughs  in  which 
the  boy  Robert  had  lain  at  rest  beside  his  great 
friend,  the  Gouverneur  Faulkner,  from  whom 
he  had  stolen  faith  and  affection. 

'  Why  did  not  you  also  steal  his  pocketbook 
as  he  lay  asleep  beside  you,  Roberta,  Marquise 
of  Grez  and  Bye?"  I  questioned  myself  with 
scorn  and  torture,  as  good  Lightfoot  crashed 


All  Is  Lost  321 

down  from  that  Camp  Heaven  into  the  dark 
night. 

And  on  we  rode,  the  large  horse  with  the 
woman  upon  his  back,  for  a  long  night,  through 
fragrant  thickets  that  caught  at  my  riding 
breeches  with  rose  tendril  fingers  and  under 
thick  forests  of  budding  trees,  through  whose 
branches  of  tender  leaves  the  wise  old  stars 
looked  down  upon  my  bitter  weeping  with  noth 
ing  of  comfort,  perhaps  because  they  had  grown 
of  a  hardness  of  heart  from  having  seen  so 
many  tears  of  women  drop  in  the  silence  of  a 
lonely  night. 

Then  came  a  dawn  and  a  noon  and  a  twi 
light  through  which  I  pushed  forward  the  large 
horse  with  great  cruelty,  only  pausing  beside 
streams  to  allow  that  he  drink  of  the  water  and 
also  to  throw  myself  down  on  my  face  and  lap 
the  cool  refreshment  like  do  all  humble  things. 
And,  when  at  last  the  stars  were  again  there  to 
look  down  upon  me,  we  arrived  behind  the  barn 
of  that  Bud  Bell  to  find  all  in  the  little  house 
at  rest.  I  thought  of  that  small  child  in  sleep 
in  the  arms  of  that  woman,  and  a  great  sobbing 
came  from  my  heart  as  I  threw  myself  into  my 


The  Daredevil 

Cherry,  after  giving  a  supper  to  good  Lightfoot, 
and  fled  down  the  long  road  to  the  distant  city 
of  Hayesville  that  lay  away  in  the  valley  like 
a  great  nest  of  glowworms  in  a  glade  of  the 
leaves  of  darkness.  And  among  those  glow 
worms  I  knew  that  more  than  a  hundred 
friends  to  me  were  beginning  to  go  into  sleep 
with  deep  affection  in  their  hearts  for  that 
Robert  Carruthers  whom  wicked  Roberta,  Mar 
quise  of  Grez  and  Bye,  was  about  to  steal  from 
them.  I  wept  as  I  turned  my  Cherry  through 
the  back  street  and  into  the  garage  of  my  Uncle, 
the  General  Robert.  Then  I  paused.  All  was 
quiet  in  the  house  and  no  light  burned  in  the 
apartments  of  my  beloved  protector  and  rela 
tive.  From  the  watch  at  my  wrist  I  ascertained 
the  hour  to  be  half  after  ten  o'clock,  and  I 
knew  that  he  was  safely  in  cards  at  that  Club 
of  Old  Hickory,  whose  lists  now  bore  the  added 
one  of  another  Robert  Carruthers,  man  of  honor 
and  descendant  of  its  founders.  Also  there  was 
no  light  in  the  rear  of  the  house  in  the  apart 
ment  of  that  kind  Kizzie,  in  whose  affections  I 
had  made  a  large  place.  A  dim  light  burned  in 
the  hall  and  I  knew  that  there  I  would  find  my 


All  Is  Lost 

faithful  chocolate  Bonbon  sitting  upon  a  chair 
by  the  great  door  in  a  deep  sleep.  And  in  a 
very  few  minutes  I  so  found  him. 

"  It  is  hello  there,  good  Bonbon,"  I  greeted 
him. 

"  Howdy,  Mr.  Robert,"  he  answered  me  by 
a  very  large  smile  with  very  white  teeth  set  in 
his  face  of  extreme  blackness.  "  The  Gen'l  said 
to  call  him  on  the  'fome  as  soon  as  you  come." 

tk  That  I  will  attend  to  from  my  apartment," 
I  answered  him  and  then  ascended  the  wide 
dark  stairway  with  feet  which  were  as  a  weight 
to  my  ankles. 

Very  slowly  I  entered  that  apartment  and 
turned  on  the  bright  light.  All  was  in  readi 
ness  for  me,  and  on  the  small  table  under  the 
glass  case  that  contained  that  beflowered  robe 
of  state  of  the  dead  Grandmamma  Carruthers 
stood  a  vase  of  very  fresh  and  innocent  young 
roses. 

;<  I  would  that  I  could  remain  and  fulfill  the 
destiny  of  a  woman  of  your  house,  Madam 
Grandmamma,"  I  whispered  to  her  lovely  and 
smiling  portrait  on  the  wall  opposite.  "  I  am 
the  last  of  the  ladies  Carruthers  but  I  have 


324  The  Daredevil 

made  a  forfeit  of  that  destiny  and  I  must  go 
out  in  the  night  again  in  man's  attire  to  a 
death  that  will  tear  asunder  the  tender  flesh 
that  you  have  borne.  Good-bye !  " 

Then  I  made  a  commencement  of  a  very 
rapid  packing,  in  one  of  those  bags  which  I 
had  purchased  from  the  kind  gentleman  in  the 
City  of  New  York,  of  what  raiment  I  knew 
would  be  suitable  for  a  man  in  very  hurried 
traveling.  I  put  into  it  the  two  suits  of  cloth 
ing  for  wear  in  the  daytime,  but  I  discarded  all 
of  my  clothing  for  the  pursuits  of  pleasure.  The 
bag  was  at  that  moment  full  and  I  did  not  know 
that  it  could  be  closed.  Then  I  bethought  me 
of  that  brown  coat  that  had  upon  it  the  blood 
which  I  had  been  allowed  to  shed  for  my  beloved 
Gouverneur  Faulkner  who  was  now  lost  to  me. 

'  That  I  will  take  and  discard  the  night  rai 
ment,  to  sleep  'as  is  '  in  the  manner  spoken  of 
by  my  friend,  that  Mr.  G.  Slade  of  Detroit,"  I 
counseled  myself  as  I  laid  aside  the  silken  gar 
ments  that  I  did  so  like  and  placed  in  their 
stead  the  bloody  coat  of  many  wrinkles. 

After  all  of  that  was  accomplished  I  went 
into  a  hot  bath  and  again  quickly  began  to 


All  Is  Lost 

assume  my  man's  clothing-,  while  from  my  eyes 
dripped  the  slow  tears  that  bleed  from  the  heart 
of  a  woman. 

'  You  must  make  a  great  hurry,  thief 
Roberta,  for  it  dra\vs  near  midnight  and  that 
is  the  hour  that  the  train  departs  to  the  North," 
I  cautioned  my  weeping  self.  "  At  that  hour 
you  go  forth  into  the  world  alone." 

And  then  what  ensued? 

Very  suddenly  I  heard  the  noise  of  a  car 
being  drawn  to  the  curb  in  front  of  the  house 
and  the  rapid  steps  of  a  man  progress  along 
the  pavings  of  brick  to  the  front  door,  at  which 
he  made  a  loud  ringing.  In  not  a  moment  was 
the  good  Bonbon  at  my  door  with  a  knocking. 

"  The  Governor  is  here  to  see  you,  Mr. 
Robert,"  he  informed  me. 

"  What  shall  you  do,  Roberta,  Marquise  of 
Grez  and  Bye?  "  I  asked  of  myself.  "  How  is  it 
that  you  can  be  able  to  support  the  cold 
reproaches  he  will  give  to  you  while  requiring 
that  you  stay  to  bring  dishonor  to  your  Uncle, 
the  General  Robert?  You  are  caught  in  a  trap 
as  is  an  animal." 

And  then  as  I  cowered  there  in  my  agony, 


326  The  Daredevil 

very  suddenly  that  terrible  daredevil  rose  within 
me  and  gave  to  me  a  very  strange  counsel.  As 
it  was  speaking  to  me  my  gaze  was  fixed  upon 
the  robe  of  state  of  the  beautiful  Grandmamma. 

"  Very  well,  then,  that  great  Gouverneur 
Faulkner  can  give  his  chastisement  and  lay  his 
commands  upon  the  beautiful  and  wicked 
Roberta,  Marquise  of  Grez  and  Bye,  in  proper 
person,  and  not  have  the  privilege  of  again 
addressing  his  faithful  and  devoted  comrade 
Robert,  who  is  dead.  I,  the  Marquise  Roberta 
of  Grez  and  Bye,  will  accord  to  him  an  inter 
view  and  in  the  language  of  this  United  States 
it  will  be  '  some '  interview ! "  With  which 
resolve  I  turned  to  make  an  answer  to  the 
faithful  Bonbon  at  the  door. 

"  Where  awaits  His  Excellency,  the  Gouver 
neur  Faulkner  ?  "  I  questioned  to  him. 

"  In  the  hall  at  the  bottom  of  the  steps,"  he 
made  reply  to  me. 

"  Attend  him  into  the  large  drawing  room  for 
a  waiting  and  make  all  of  the  lights  to  burn. 
Say  to  him  that  I  will  descend  in  a  very  small 
space  of  time,"  I  commanded. 

"  Yes,  sir,"  he  made  reply  and  departed. 


CHAPTER  XX 

"YOU  ARE  — MYSELF!" 

And  then  in  my  wickedness  I  began  to  com 
mit  a  desecration  on  the  memory  of  my  beau 
tiful  and  honored  Grandmamma  Carruthers.  I 
walked  to  that  glass  case  in  which  reposed  that 
gown  of  the  beautiful  flowered  silk  and  took  it 
therefrom  and  laid  it  upon  a  chair  above  the 
soiled  riding  breeches  of  corduroy  I  had  so  lately 
discarded.  I  opened  the  carved  wooden  box  on 
the  table  underneath  and  took  from  it  the  silver 
slippers  and  the  stockings  of  silk,  also  the  lace 
fan  and  the  silver  band  for  the  hair.  There 
upon  I  walked  to  my  mirror  and  commenced  to 
make  a  toilet  of  great  care  but  of  a  great 
rapidity. 

My  first  action  was  to  take  down  that  love 
lock  and  with  the  oil  of  roses  to  lay  it  in  its 
accustomed  place  upon  my  cheek,  which  burned 
with  a  beautiful  rose  of  shame  and  at  the  same 

327 


328  The  Daredevil 

moment  with  some  other  emotion  that  I  did  not 
understand;  which  emotion  also  made  my  eyes 
as  bright  as  the  night  stars  out  in  that  Camp 
Heaven.  The  silver  band  held  closely  the 
rest  of  my  mop  and  gave  it  the  appearance  of 
the  very  close  coiffure  which  is  the  fashion  of 
this  day,  and  one  very  sweet  young  rose  I  put 
into  it  just  above  the  curl  with  an  effect  of  great 
and  wicked  beauty. 

The  coiffure  having  been  accomplished,  the 
rest  of  the  toilet,  from  the  slippers  of  the  cloth 
of  silver  to  the  edge  of  fine  old  lace,  now  the 
color  of  rich  cream,  that  rested  upon  the  arch 
of  my  bare  white  breast  was  only  a  matter  of 
a  few  moments,  and  then  I  stood  away  from  my 
mirror  and  beheld  myself  therein. 

"  You  are  as  beautiful  as  you  are  wicked, 
Roberta,  Marquise  of  Grez  and  Bye,  but  you 
go  to  your  death  in  a  manner  befitting  a  grande 
dame  of  your  ancient  house  of  France,  whose 
daughters  once  showed  the  rabble  how  to 
approach  a  guillotine,  costumed  in  magnificence. 
Descend  for  that  cold  knife  to  your  heart !  " 
And  so  speaking,  I  picked  up  my  fan  and  made 
my  way  through  the  hall  to  the  halfway  of 


'You  Are--  Myself  P  329 

the  wide  steps.  At  that  point  a  commotion 
occurred. 

"  Lordee !  It's  the  old  lady  come  to  ha'nt !  " 
exclaimed  my  good  Bonbon  and  with  a  groan 
he  fled  into  the  darkness  in  the  back  regions  of 
the  house. 

And  it  happened  that  his  loud  cry  brought  a 
response  which  came  to  me  before  I  was  quite  in 
readiness  for  it.  As  I  reached  the  last  step  of 
the  wide  staircase,  under  the  bright  light  I 
raised  my  eyes,  and  behold,  the  Gouverneur 
Faulkner  to  whom  I  had  descended  for  the 
purpose  of  mortal  combat,  stood  before  me! 

And  was  it  that  cruel  and  wicked  and  cold 
Gouverneur  Faulkner  who  was  to  scourge  me 
and  keep  me  in  the  house  of  my  Uncle,  the 
General  Robert,  for  a  dishonor?  It  was  not. 
Before  me  stood  a  tall  man  who  was  of  a 
great  paleness  and  a  terrible  fatigue  also,  cov 
ered  with  the  dust  of  a  long,  hard  ride,  with 
eyes  that  were  full  of  a  fear,  who  stood  and 
looked  at  me  with  not  one  word  of  any  kind. 

Suddenly  I  bowed  my  head  and  stretched  out 
my  bare  arms,  the  one  of  which  bore  the  red 
scar  from  the  wound  suffered  for  him,  and  thus 


330  The  Daredevil 

suppliant  I  waited  to  receive  the  reproaches  that 
were  due  to  me. 

And  for  a  long  minute  I  waited  and  then 
again  for  another  long  period  of  time  and  no 
word  came  to  me.  Then  I  raised  my  head ! 

For  all  women  now  in  the  world  who  have 
the  love  of  a  man  in  their  hearts,  and  for  those 
unborn  who  will  come  into  that  possession,  I 
pray  that  they  may  be  given  the  opportunity  to 
plant  in  the  hearts  of  those  men  of  their  desire 
the  seed  of  a  fine  loyalty  and  service  and  com 
radeship,  and  that  they  may  some  day  look  into 
his  eyes  and  see  that  seed  slowly  expand  into  a 
great  white  flower  of  mate  love,  as  I  beheld 
bloom  for  me  in  the  eyes  of  my  beloved  Gouv- 
erneur  Faulkner.  Long  we  stood  there  and 
looked  into  the  soul  of  each  other  and  let  the 
flower  grow,  drinking  from  our  hearts  and  the 
veins  of  our  bodies  until  at  last  it  was  fully 
open;  and  then  I  went  with  a  love  cry  into  his 
arms  held  out  to  me,  and  pressed  the  heart  of 
my  soft  woman's  body  close  against  his  own. 

"  I  think  my  heart  has  always  known,  though 
my  mind's  eyes  \vere  blind.  God,  if  I  had  lost 
you  into  that  hell  of  war,  you  daredevil!"  he 


'You  Are --Myself!'  331 

whispered  and  I  tasted  the  salt  of  his  tears  on 
my  lips. 

'k  I  am  a  lie,"  I  whispered  back  to  him. 

"  You  are  —  myself,"  he  laughed  through  a 
sob,  and  then,  while  with  his  large  warm  hand 
he  held  my  throat  as  a  person  does  the  stem 
of  a  flower,  he  pressed  his  lips  into  mine  until 
they  reached  to  the  heart  within  me.  In  a 
moment  with  my  hands  I  held  him  back 
from  me. 

"  I  must  go,  my  beloved,  even  as  I  have  said," 
I  cried  to  him.  "  I  cannot  stay  to  my  dishonor 
and  to  the  rage  and  unhappiness  my  Uncle, 
the  General  Robert,  will  experience  when  he  dis 
covers  that  a  girl  has  cheated  him  in  his  great 
affection  and  generosity  to  her. 

"  It  is  going  to  be  hard  on  the  General  to 
have  his  grandmother  come  to  life  on  his  hands 
like  this,"  laughed  my  Gouverneur  Faulkner, 
bending  and  placing  upon  the  creamy  lace  of 
my  Grandmamma  a  kiss  which  was  warm  to  my 
heart  through  the  beflowered  silk. 

"  Let  me  die  in  those  trenches  so  that  he 
will  never  know,"  I  pleaded. 

"  No,    sweetheart,    that   would   be    too    easy. 


332  The  Daredevil 

You  are  going  to  stay  right  here  and  face  the 
old  Forty-Two  Centimeter,"  he  made  a  reply 
to  my  pleading  request  as  he  bent  and  laid  his 
cheek  upon  the  lovelock.  "  That  curl  ought  to 
have  opened  my  eyes  when  I  sat  and  watched 
you  open  yours  day  before  yesterday  morning," 
was  the  remark  he  added  to  his  cruel  command 
that  I  stay  and  face  my  very  dreadful  and  so 
very  much  beloved  Uncle,  the  General  Robert. 

"  I  am  afraid,"  I  answered  as  I  clung  to  him 
with  a  trembling. 

"  Yes,  I  know  you  are  afraid  of  him  —  or 
anything,"  laughed  my  beloved  Gouverneur 
Faulkner  with  a  shake  of  my  bare  shoulders 
under  his  strong  hands.  "  But  perhaps  these 
papers  I  have  in  my  pocket  from  Captain  Las- 
selles,  who  is  at  the  Mansion  getting  rid  of 
dust,  will  help  you  out  after  the  first  explosion, 
which  you  will  have  to  stand  in  a  very  few 
minutes  from  now,  if  that  hall  clock  is  correct 
and  I  know  the  General's  habits  as  I  think 
I  do." 

"  Oh,  let  me  ascend  and  get  once  again  into 
my  trousers!  "  I  exclaimed  as  I  sought  to  leave 
the  arms  that  again  held  me  close. 


'You  Are --Myself!'  333 

"  Never,"  said  my  Gouverneur  Faulkner  after 
another  kiss  upon  the  lace  on  my  breast. 
"  You'll  just  wear  this  ball  gown  until  you  can 
get  some  dimity,  Madam,  and  don't  you  ever 
even  mention  to  me  — 

But  just  here  an  interruption  arrived,  and  I 
sprang  from  the  arms  of  my  Gouverneur  Faulk 
ner  only  in  time  to  avoid  being  discovered 
therein.  My  beloved  Uncle,  the  General  Robert, 
entered  the  door  in  a  great  hurry,  with  that 
much  frightened  Bonbon  following  close  at  his 
heels. 

4  What's  all  this  that  fool  nigger  phoned 

about  ghosts  walking  and "  Then  he 

stood  very  still  in  the  spot  upon  which  his  feet 
were  placed  and  regarded  me  as  I  turned  from 
the  arms  of  my  Gouverneur  Faulkner  and  faced 
him. 

"  My  God,  Governor,  what  has  happened  to 
my  boy?  "  he  asked,  and  his  fine  old  face  was  of 
a  great  whiteness  and  trembling.  "  Sam  says 

he's  dead  and  the  ghost "  and  then  came 

another  pause  in  which  all  of  the  persons  present 
held  for  a  long  minute  their  breath. 

Did    I    make   excuses   and   explanations   and 


334  The  Daredevil 

pleadings  to  my  beloved  Uncle,  the  General 
Robert,  in  such  suffering  over  the  death  of  that 
Robert?  I  did  not.  I  opened  my  strong  young 
arms  wide  and  took  him  into  them  with  a  ten 
derness  of  such  great  force  that  it  would  of  a 
necessity  go  into  his  very  heart. 

"  I  am  a  wicked  girl  who  has  come  to  you  in 
lies  as  a  boy,  my  Uncle  Robert,  but  I  have  a 
love  that  is  so  great  for  you  that  I  will  be  in 
death  if  you  do  not  accept  of  it  from  me,"  I  said 
as  I  pressed  my  cheek  in  its  tears  against  his. 

And  for  still  another  long  minute  all  of  the 
persons  present  waited  again  and  I  forced  to 
remain  in  my  throat  a  sob,  while  my  beloved 
Gouverneur  Faulkner  laid  one  of  his  hands  on 
the  shoulder  of  my  Uncle,  the  General  Robert. 

And  then  did  come  that  explosion! 

"  You  young  limb  of  Satan,  you !  I  could 
shake  the  life  out  of  you  if  I  didn't  prefer  a 
live  girl  to  a  dead  boy.  I  knew  just  such  a 
thing  as  this  would  happen  to  me  in  my  old 
age  for  a  long  life  of  cussedness.  And  what's 
more,  I'll  wager  I'll  never  be  able  to  give  a 
great  husky  thing  like  you  away.  You  cost  as 
much  to  feed  as  a  man.  Who'd  want  you  ?  " 


'You  Are --Myself!'  335 

But  even  as  he  stormed  at  me  I  felt  his  strong 
old  arms  cease  from  their  tremblings  and  clasp 
me  with  a  very  rough  tenderness. 

''  I  do,  General,"  said  my  Gouverneur 
Faulkner  as  he  attempted  to  take  me  from  that 
very  rough  embrace  of  my  Uncle,  the  General 
Robert.  "I'll  take  her  off  your  hands." 

"  No,  sir,  I  never  ask  personal  favors  of  my 
friends,"  answered  my  Uncle,  the  General 
Robert,  as  he  held  me  away  from  the  arms  of 
the  Gouverneur  Faulkner  with  a  very  great 
determination. 

"  General  Carruthers,"  then  said  my  beloved 
Gouverneur  Faulkner  as  he  drew  his  beautiful 
body  to  all  the  height  that  was  possible  to  him, 
and  looked  into  the  eyes  of  my  beloved  Uncle 
Robert  with  his  own,  which  are  stars  of  the 
dawn,  so  that  all  of  his  heart  and  soul  and 
honor  shone  therefrom  in  a  radiance,  "  the  Mar 
quise  of  Grez  and  Bye  went  a  three  days' 
journey  into  the  wilds  of  the  Harpeth  moun 
tains  with  me  to  rescue  my  honor  and  for  the 
welfare  of  this  great  State  and  of  France.  And 
because  we  thought  not  of  ourselves  but  of  the 
welfare  of  Harpeth  and  of  France,  and  did  but 


336  The  Daredevil 

what  was  necessary  as  two  comrades,  God  has 
revealed  to  us  his  gift  of  gifts  —  love.  As 
you  see,  she  is  returned  to  you  radiant  and 
unharmed.  Have  I  your  consent  to  try  to  win 
her  hand  in  marriage?  " 

For  no  more  than  a  long  minute  my  Uncle, 
the  General  Robert,  gazed  straight  into  the  eyes 
of  my  beloved  Gouverneur  Faulkner,  and  then 
a  very  beautiful  smile  did  break  from  under 
those  white  swords  crossed  above  his  lips,  as  he 
spoke  writh  a  great  urgency: 

;'  Would  you  like  to  take  the  baggage  along 
with  you  to-night,  Governor?  Don't  leave  her 
here.  I  don't  want  a  woman  about  my  house. 
I  can  wake  up  the  county  court  clerk  for  a 
license,"  he  said  with  a  fine  twinkling  of  the  eye. 

"  Oh,  but  all  friends  must  forgive  me  my 
deception;  and  then  must  not  a  courtship  of 
great  decorum  be  made  from  my  Gouverneur 
Faulkner  for  the  hand  of  the  lady  whom  he 
would  make  his  wife?"  I  asked  \vith  an  uncer 
tainty  as  I  looked  from  my  Uncle,  the  General 
Robert,  to  my  Gouverneur  Faulkner. 

"  I'm  sorry,  sir,  but  I  think  the  Marquise  is 
right  and  under  the  circumstances  I'll  have  to 


'You  Are --Myself!' 

make  a  very  public  courtship,  which  out  of  con 
sideration  for  you  I'll  make  as  ardent  and  rapid 
as  possible.  Only  we  three  know  the  wonderful 
truth  and  we'll  keep  it  to  ourselves."  And  as  he 
spoke  that  great  Gouverneur  Faulkner  bent  and 
laid  a  kiss  of  great  ceremony  upon  the  hand  of 
Roberta,  Marquise  of  Grez  and  Bye. 

"  Very  well,  sir,  I'll  keep  her  for  a  few  days 
and  have  her  fitted  out  in  a  lot  of  folderols  for 
you,  but  only  for  a  short  period,  mind  you.  A 
very  short  period!"  answered  my  Uncle,  the 
General  Robert,  with  a  smile  that  showed  much 
delight  in  me.  I  Mew  to  him  and  gave  to  him 
an  embrace  with  my  arms  and  also  laid  my 
cheek  against  his. 

"  I  am  for  always  your  most  humble  and 
obedient  girl,  my  Uncle  Robert,"  I  whispered 
to  him. 

"  Humble  and  obedient  —  no  woman  would 
know  those  words  if  she  met  them  in  her  own 
drawing-room,"  he  answered  to  me  with  a  great 
scorn  but  he  also  gave  to  me  a  shake  that  was  of 
a  seeming  great  fierceness,  but  that  I  knew  to  be 
a  caress. 

And  into  that  caress  came  also  another  inter- 


The  Daredevil 

ruption  of  great  hurry.  My  Buzz  entered  the 
door  with  a  rapidity  and  this  exclamation: 

"What's  the  trouble,  General?  I  just  got 

your  phone  and "  Then  he  too  stood  in 

a  great  and  sudden  stillness,  regarding  me  as  I 
stood  from  the  shelter  of  the  arms  of  my  Uncle, 
the  General  Robert,  and  looked  into  his  eyes  of 
great  fright. 

"  My  Buzz,"  I  said  to  him  softly. 

"  Great  heavens !  "  he  exclaimed,  with  terror 
in  his  eyes  as  he  backed  away  from  me.  "  I 
haven't  had  but  one  glass  of  draft  beer, 
General." 

"  It's  all  right,  Buzz,"  answered  my  very  wise 
Gouverneur  Faulkner,  in  a  voice  of  great 
soothing.  "  This  is  just  —  just  Robert  in  a  — • 


"  Not  much  Bobby,  that,"  answered  my  Buzz 
as  he  backed  farther  towards  the  door.  :'  I 
think  I'll  step  outside  in  the  cool  air.  I  haven't 

felt  well  all  day.  I "  and  with  which 

remark  my  good  Buzz  turned  himself  into  the 
arms  of  the  lovely  Mademoiselle  Sue  entering 
the  door. 

"  I'm  tired  of  waiting  out  there  in  that  car, 


'You  Are --Myself!' 

Buzz,  and  —  And  again  came  an  awful 

pause  of  terror.  But  is  it  not  that  women  have 
a  wit  that  is  very  much  more  rapid  than  is  that 
of  men?  I  think  it  is  so. 

"  You  know,  I  thought  Bobby  was  a  queer 
kind  of  man  and  he  is  a  perfectly  lovely  girl," 
she  said  as  she  came  towards  me  with  a  laugh 
and  her  lovely  arms  outstretched.  "  I  read 
about  two  French  girls  who  got  into  Germany 
in  German  uniforms,  just  last  night  in  a  maga 
zine.  You  are  some  kind  of  a  French  spy  about 
those  dreadful  mules,  aren't  you,  Bobby  dear  ?  " 
And  as  she  asked  that  question  of  me,  my  lovely 
Sue  gave  to  me  a  kiss  upon  my  lips  that  I  valued 
with  a  great  gratitude. 

;>  Please  make  it  that  my  Buzz  also  under 
stands,"  I  pleaded  to  her  within  her  arms. 

:<  Brace  up,  Buzz,  and  be  nice  to  Bobby,  even 
if  he  is  a  girl.  Just  when  did  you  begin  not  to 
like  girls,  I'd  like  to  know?  "  questioned  my  Sue 
of  him  with  a  great  emphasis. 

"  You  see  why  it  is  that  I  cannot  go  into  that 
business  of  timber  with  you  and  be  married 
to  -  'I  made  a  commencement  to  say  to  him. 

"  That    will    do,    L'Aiglon,"    interrupted    my 


340  The  Daredevil 

Buzz  with  a  great  haste  and  a  glance  in  the 
direction  of  lovely  Sue.  "  Forget  it!  It  is  an 
awful  shame,  for  you  were  one  nice  youngster 
and  -  -  " 

"  Be  a  sport,  Buzz,  and  forgive  her  and  — 
love  her  again,"  said  my  Gouverneur  Faulkner 
with  a  laugh.  "  That  is,  as  much  as  Miss  Susan 

will "  But  at  this  point  my  Uncle,  the 

General  Robert,  caused  an  interruption  in  the 
conversation. 

'  What  are  you  doing  here,  sir,  when  I  left 
you  to  watch  the  side-steps  of  that  French  pop 
injay  and  the  Whitworth  woman?  Did  you 
hear  what  all  that  powwow  was  about  at  her 
tea  fight  this  afternoon?"  he  demanded  of  fine 
Buzz,  with  a  great  anxiety.  '  There's  been  hell 
to  pay,  since  you  left,  Governor,  and  I  think 
this  French  scoundrel  and  Jeff's  gang  are  pre 
paring  to  put  through  some  sort  of  a  private 
steal  if  you  jump  the  track  on  them." 

"  Madam  Pat  has  got  'em  all  up  at  the  Club, 
plotting  in  a  corner  at  the  little  dinner  dance 
we  got  up  when  his  High-and-Mightiness 
refused  the  rural  expedition,  as  soon  as  they 
heard  you  were  not  to  go,  Governor,"  said 


'You  Are --Myself!'  341 

my  Buzz  with  a  great  anxiety  in  his  face.  "I'd 
like  to  see  anybody  put  out  Mrs.  Pat's  light 
when  she  is  once  lit." 

"  It's  all  right.  Buzz,  and  don't  worry.  Some 
thing  has  arrived  to  stop  it  all.  It's  up  at  the 
Mansion  now  and  is  man-sized,"  answered 
my  beloved  Gouverneur  Faulkner  with  a  great 
soothing. 

And  after  that  remark  there  were  many  very 
long  explanations  that  made  a  beginning  about 
the  crooked  back  of  the  wee  Pierre,  which,  in  a 
letter  come  to  my  Uncle,  the  General  Robert, 
that  day,  was  declared  by  that  great  Doctor 
Burns  to  be  of  a  certainty  straight  within  the 
year,  and  that  ended  in  the  library  where  my 
Uncle,  the  General  Robert,  and  my  Gouverneur 
Faulkner,  with  good  Buzz,  read  and  read  yet 
again  the  papers  that  my  great  Capitaine,  the 
Count  de  Lasselles,  had  signed  for  an  honest 
delivery  of  the  many  mules  to  France.  I  do 
not  know  all  that  my  beloved  Gouverneur 
Faulkner  said  to  my  Uncle,  the  General  Robert, 
for  I  remained  in  the  hall  with  my  Sue  in  a 
discussion  about  the  telling  without  offense  of 
the  departure  of  Robert  Carruthers  to  my  Belle 


342  The  Daredevil 

and  other  loved  ones.    And  to  us  soon  returned 
my  Buzz  of  great  curiosity. 

'  There  is  no  humbleness  that  I  will  not  per 
form  for  their  forgiveness,  my  Buzz  and  my 
Sue,"  I  said  to  them.  "  Seek  that  they  grant 
it  to  me." 

"  Oh,  it  will  be  so  exciting  and  up-to-date 
with  its  spy  and  war  flavor  that  everybody  will 
forgive  you.  You  are  a  lovely  darling  and 
they'll  all  be  glad  you  are  a  girl  —  all  the  boys 
especially,"  said  to  me  my  Sue,  with  a  defiance 
at  my  Buzz. 

"  Sure,  Bobbyette,  I'll  see  that  you're  no  wall 
flower,"  he  made  answer  to  her  in  the  person 
of  me,  with  a  return  of  that  defiance.  "  Come 
on,  Susan,  let  me  take  you  home.  Good  night, 
old  top  —  no,  I  mean  belle  Marquise,"  and  it 
was  a  very  funny  thing  to  see  that  Buzz  with 
a  great  awkwardness,  bend  and  kiss  my  hand 
at  a  laugh  from  my  Sue  as  they  left  me. 

It  was  not  for  many  moments  that  I  stood 
alone  in  the  hall  after  the  departure  of  my  Sue 
and  my  Buzz,  before  there  entered  my  beloved 
Uncle,  the  General  Robert,  and  also  my  beloved 
Gouverneur  Faulkner,  who  came  to  stand,  one 


'You  Are --Myself!'  343 

upon  the  one  side  of  me  and  one  upon  the  other. 

"  Sure  you  wouldn't  like  to  take  her  along 
with  you  to-night,  Governor?"  again  asked  my 
Uncle,  the  General  Robert,  with  a  great  fierce 
ness  but  also  a  twinkling  of  the  eye. 

"  Only  as  far  as  your  garden  for  a  few 
minutes,  General,"  ans\vered  my  Gouverneur 
Faulkner  with  that  laugh  of  a  boy  I  had 
remarked  once  before  up  in  those  mountains  of 
Old  Harpeth,  and  he  took  my  hand  in  his  as  if 
to  lead  me  through  one  of  the  tall  windows  out 
into  the  fragrant  night. 

"  All  right,  take  her  and  don't  return  her  until 
you  have  to,"  remarked  my  Uncle,  the  General 
Robert,  as  he  handed  me  in  the  direction  of  my 
Gouverneur  Faulkner  and  immediately  took  his 
departure  up  the  stairs. 

And  it  was  under  the  light  of  the  old  moon, 
in  the  garden  of  those  grande  dames  Carruthers, 
that  Roberta,  Marquise  of  Grez  and  Bye,  who 
is  the  last  of  their  line,  walked  with  the  great 
gentleman  who  was  and  is  her  lover.  Is  it  that 
those  beautiful  dead  Grandmammas  each  planted 
her  flowers  in  her  own  great  happiness  so  that 
they  would  give  forth  a  very  tender  perfume  in 


344  The  Daredevil 

which  to  enfold  the  wooings  of  their  daughters 
then  not  come  into  the  world?  I  think  it  is  so, 
and  I  was  thus  enwrapped  in  their  fragrance 
as  I  was  in  the  arms  of  that  great  Gouverneur 
Faulkner. 

"  Now  I  am  a  truth  that  I  do  love  you,"  I 
made  answer  to  a  question  that  was  pressed 
upon  my  lips. 

"  His  woman  is  God's  gift  of  truth  to  a 
man,"  were  the  words  that  were  heard  by  those 
listening  flowers  and  Roberta,  Marquise  of  Grez 
and  Bye,  who  from  a  world  at  war  had  come 
home. 


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JUL  1  7 

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A     0009  9272     5 


PS 
350? 


